LEADER OF THE HOUSE

Orders and Regulations

James McGovern: To ask the Leader of the House what process is used to decide which statutory instruments are to be debated on the Floor of the House.

Jack Straw: Under Standing Order No. 118, all affirmative statutory instruments (other than those referred to the Scottish or Northern Ireland Grand Committees) automatically stand referred to a delegated legislation Committee. However, notice may be given of a motion in the name of a Minister of the Crown under sub-paragraph (3)(a) that an instrument shall not stand so referred, in which case it is taken on the Floor of the House. Negative instruments may be taken in a delegated legislation Committee under paragraph (4).
	Requests from Ministers or from elsewhere in the House for instruments to be taken on the Floor of the House are considered by business managers, including through discussions in the usual channels.

CHURCH COMMISSIONERS

Clergy Working Group

Ben Chapman: To ask the hon. Member for Middlesbrough, representing the Church Commissioners what recent discussions the Church Commissioners have held with the Department of Trade and Industry on the work of the Clergy Working Group.

Stuart Bell: The Clergy Working Group (on which the Church of England was represented) produced a statement of good practice setting out minimum standards for the terms and conditions of service of ministers of religion. The Church of England has committed itself to these principles and General Synod has drafted legislation which has been sent to DTI officials, with whom we regularly communicate.

Sex Discrimination

Evan Harris: To ask the hon. Member for Middlesbrough, representing the Church Commissioners what guidelines the Commissioners have issued on the question of discrimination against employees on the grounds of sexual orientation.

Stuart Bell: In November 2003 the Archbishops' Council issued general advice to dioceses and parishes on the effect of the Employment Equality (Sexual Orientation) Regulations 2003 and the Employment Equality (Religion and Belief) Regulations 2003.

ELECTORAL COMMISSION COMMITTEE

Electoral Commission

Philip Hollobone: To ask the hon. Member for Gosport, representing the Speaker's Committee on the Electoral Commission what recent discussions the Speaker's Committee on the Electoral Commission has had on the effectiveness of the Electoral Commission.

Peter Viggers: The Electoral Commission is an independent public body. The Speaker's Committee has a statutory obligation to ensure that any estimate of the income and expenditure of the Commission and accompanying five-year plan which it lays before the House is consistent with the economical, efficient and effective discharge by the Commission of its functions. The Committee discussed the Commission's Estimate for 2007-08 and its five-year plan for 2007-08 to 2011-12 on 21 March and these will be laid before the House shortly. Outside that framework, there is no specific requirement for the Speaker's Committee to discuss the effectiveness of the Commission.

DEPUTY PRIME MINISTER

Departments: Postal Services

Christopher Fraser: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister which postal companies handle mail dispatched by his Department.

John Prescott: My Office is located in a Cabinet Office building and mail for my Office is handled in the same way as the rest of the building.

Departments: Redundancy

Justine Greening: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister 
	(1)  how many people in his Department and its predecessor participated in  (a) involuntary and  (b) voluntary staff exit schemes in each year since 1997-98; and if he will make a statement;
	(2)  how many people in his Department and its predecessor who participated in  (a) involuntary and  (b) voluntary staff exit schemes in each year since 1997-98 were paid between (i) £0 to £25,000, (ii) £25,001 to £50,000, (iii) £50,001 to £75,000, (iv) £75,001 to £100,000 and (v) over £100,000; and if he will make a statement.

John Prescott: My Office was formed on 5 May 2006. I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave her on 15 March 2007,  Official Report, column 253W.

Labour Party: Conferences

Oliver Heald: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister whether civil servants in his Office have been given permission to attend the Labour party conference to carry out official business.

John Prescott: Special advisers may attend conference as permitted in their terms of appointment. No permanent civil servants in my Office have attended conference in their official capacity or been given permission to do so in 2007.

Post Offices

Peter Bone: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what recent discussions he has had with the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry on the national access criteria for post offices.

John Prescott: I meet regularly with ministerial colleagues to discuss a range of issues. As the hon. Member will be aware, I also chair the Cabinet Committee on the Future of the Post Office Network.

DUCHY OF LANCASTER

Civil Servants: Political Impartiality

Nicholas Clegg: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster whether there are plans to review the present safeguards of civil servants' impartiality.

Hilary Armstrong: The requirement to maintain civil servants' impartiality is set out in the Civil Service Code, the Ministerial Code and the Code of Conduct for Special Advisers. Copies of these documents are available in the Library for the reference of Members.

Policy Review

Mark Hoban: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster pursuant to the answer of 20 March 2007,  Official Report, column 823W, on the Policy Review, what the cost has been of the IPSOS-MORI contract.

Hilary Armstrong: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave to the hon. Member for North-East Hertfordshire (Mr. Heald) on 26 January 2007,  Official Report, column 2127W.

WALES

Council Tax: Valuation

Caroline Spelman: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what the administrative cost has been of  (a) valuations,  (b) appeals and  (c) other costs of the council tax revaluation in Wales.

Peter Hain: Revaluation was undertaken by the Valuation Office Agency and costs were met by the Agency out of the funding it receives from the Welsh Assembly Government. The total costs up to 31 March 2005 of delivering the revaluation were £5.198 million.
	It is not possible separately to identify the cost of appeals from the Valuation Office Agency's other local taxation work except at disproportionate cost.

Council Tax: Valuation

Caroline Spelman: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales whether the 2005 council tax revaluation in Wales was revenue-neutral.

Peter Hain: The key aim of council tax revaluation and re-banding was not to increase the yield but to redistribute the council tax more fairly across the population of Wales, on the basis of more up-to-date property values.
	The increase in council tax levy at Band D in 2005-06 was 3.8 per cent. This was the lowest increase since the introduction of council tax.

Council Tax: Valuation

Caroline Spelman: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many and what proportion of properties in Wales moved from bands  (a) A,  (b) B,  (c) C,  (d) D,  (e) E,  (f) F,  (g) G and  (h) H to each other band in the Welsh Council Tax revaluation.

Peter Hain: The Valuation Office Agency holds the statistics of the properties in Wales that have moved bands following the council tax revaluation.
	At a revaluation, bands are reviewed according to the physical characteristics of the dwelling when the list comes into effect (1 April 2005 in Wales). Therefore, some of the increases in banding will be as a result of physical changes that could not have been taken into account during the life of the 1993 lists because there had been no change of ownership since their completion.
	The information requested is in the following table:
	
		
			   Revised A Bandings  Revised B Bandings  Revised C Bandings  Revised D Bandings  Revised E Bandings  Revised F Bandings  Revised G Bandings  Revised H Bandings 
			 A 172,006 26,765 673 27 5 1 0 0 
			 B 72,088 188,485 23,211 671 32 1 3 2 
			 C 9,523 97,768 155,687 25,300 736 8 3 0 
			 D 1,549 11,056 69,882 106,606 16,713 301 17 0 
			 E 414 1,398 13,532 56,818 88,919 7,060 115 2 
			 F 183 290 1,661 9,689 49,495 38,314 3,646 6 
			 G 59 110 317 1,303 7,668 17,163 22,482 85 
			 H 10 18 28 85 470 1,377 9,258 806 
			 I 3 5 8 18 79 227 2,721 2,487

CONSTITUTIONAL AFFAIRS

Bailiffs: Certification

Peter Bottomley: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs what guidance the Department has issued to local authorities in relation to their certification of bailiffs on debt enforcement involving the disabled or vulnerable.

Harriet Harman: My Department worked closely with creditors and the enforcement profession to produce and issue the national standards for enforcement agents, available from the DCA website. The standards are a best practice guide intended for use by all enforcement agents, public and private, the enforcement agencies that employ them and the major creditors who use them. The standards have been widely endorsed by the trade associations representing bailiffs and advise that discretion should be used when dealing with those who might be potentially vulnerable, including the elderly, people with a disability and single parent families.

Bailiffs: Certification

Peter Bottomley: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs what estimate she has made of the number of  (a) certificated bailiffs,  (b) uncertificated bailiffs and  (c) bailiffs doing work requiring certification who do not hold current certification.

Harriet Harman: The regulatory impact assessment for the Tribunals, Courts and Enforcement Bill published on 30 January 2007 estimates that there are 1,200 uncertificated bailiffs. As at 30 March 2007 the Register of Certificated Bailiffs maintained by HMCS currently lists 1,482 certificated bailiffs. There should be no bailiffs doing work requiring certification who do not hold a current certificate.

Bailiffs: Certification

Peter Bottomley: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs what the procedure is for complaining about the activity of  (a) an uncertificated and  (b) a certificated bailiff.

Harriet Harman: Complaints made against bailiffs, be they certificated or non-certificated, can be made by telephone or writing to the firm that the bailiff works for, the organisation who employed the bailiff to act on their behalf or the magistrates court that issued the enforcement order. Complaints against certificated bailiffs can also be made to the court that granted certification to the bailiff and to the Enforcement Officers Association, or the Association of Civil Enforcement Agencies, which are responsible for promoting higher standards within the profession. HMCS leaflet EX345 details the procedure for complaints about bailiffs and recommends seeking legal advice before starting this process.

Bailiffs: Certification

Peter Bottomley: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs what fees are charged by bailiffs for debt enforcement; and by whom they are payable.

Harriet Harman: Bailiffs' fees are included in the sum to be paid by the offender or debtor. There is no single statutory fee structure but different fees depending on the type of debt and where responsibility for enforcing that debt lies.
	The Tribunals, Courts and Enforcement Bill, currently progressing through Parliament, will further regulate the activities of bailiffs and introduce a single simplified fee structure designed to support the principles of transparency, consistency and proportionality.

Coroners: Armed Forces

Robert Key: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs what new arrangements she plans to make to fund HM Coroners following her decision to transfer responsibility for coroners inquests from Oxfordshire to the home counties of individual deceased military personnel; and if she will make a statement.

Harriet Harman: I will continue to regularly review progress regarding these inquests. I do not plan to make any new funding arrangements where inquests are transferred by the Oxfordshire coroner to coroners nearer to the next of kin.

Coroners: Armed Forces

Mark Harper: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs how many inquests into deaths of service personnel killed in  (a) Iraq and  (b) Afghanistan are still outstanding; and when she expects this backlog to be cleared.

Harriet Harman: There are 42 inquests outstanding relating to service personnel killed in Iraq and 45 relating to service personnel killed in Afghanistan The timing of individual inquests is a matter for the coroner concerned to determine but I expect outstanding inquests to be concluded without any unnecessary delay.

Courts

Ben Wallace: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs how many cases there were of defendants absconding from courts in each year since 2002.

Harriet Harman: HMCS does not routinely collect this information and this could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Courts: Nottingham

Graham Allen: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs when she expects to lay the Orders relevant to section 178 of the Criminal Justice Act 2003 to enable the community justice court in Nottingham to conduct cases referred to in that section; and if she will make a statement.

Harriet Harman: Responsibility for this legislation rests with the Home Office. Powers under section 178 of the Criminal Justice Act 2003 to enable the review of a community order have been in operation for almost a year, as a pilot at the community justice initiatives in North Liverpool and Salford. We are now assessing their impact, with a view to extending their use to the new community justice courts announced by the Lord Chancellor on 27 November, including Nottingham. This extension will give us further information about the operation of the powers and their impact on offender behaviour, as well as the resources required by the courts and Probation Service. My officials are therefore working with Home Office officials to ensure the affirmative resolution order to extend the powers is taken forward as soon as this assessment is complete.
	Section 178 is one element only of the community justice concept however, and the community court in Nottingham will be able to begin operation, just as Liverpool and Salford did, prior to receiving these powers.

Courts: Pay

Keith Vaz: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs what steps she plans to take to tackle local court staff application shortages in areas with the lowest band pay under the proposed new pay system for local departmental civil servants.

Harriet Harman: Negotiations with the trade unions on the proposed new pay system are continuing. These focus on important issues such as how the pay system will better support effective recruitment of staff into courts across the country. I will write to my right hon. Friend once negotiations have been concluded.

Courts: Pay

Keith Vaz: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs what discussions Ministers in her Department have had with their counterparts at HM Treasury on the proposed new pay system.

Harriet Harman: Extensive discussions were held with the Treasury about the new pay system. These began in summer 2006 and concluded in January 2007.

Courts: Pay

Keith Vaz: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs on what basis the pay bands were allocated to different regions in the proposed new pay system for local court staff.

Harriet Harman: Negotiations with the trade unions on the new pay system are continuing. These address crucial issues such as how the pay system will better enable the Department to compete effectively in local labour markets. I will write to my right hon. Friend once the negotiations have been concluded.

Courts: Pay

Keith Vaz: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs what pilot schemes have been carried out to test the proposed new pay scheme for local court staff.

Harriet Harman: Pilot schemes are not an appropriate method of testing a new pay system.

Custody: Parents

Lorely Burt: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs what steps she is taking to ensure that parents are treated equitably in terms of access to their children following separation or divorce.

Harriet Harman: The Government believe that where it is safe and in the child's best interests, children benefit from a continuing relationship and regular contact with both parents, following separation or divorce.
	The vast majority of people (90 per cent.) going through a relationship breakdown do not go to court over contact arrangements with their children. This shows that most people are willing and able to come to their own decisions about how best to manage their ongoing relationship with their children.
	Where arrangements for contact with children cannot be agreed, any parent can apply to the court for a contact order under the Children Act 1989, enabling them to have contact with their children.
	Approximately 10 per cent. of separating families turn to the courts for help in resolving arrangements for contact with their children. The paramount consideration for the court when making an order under the Children Act is the welfare of the child or children concerned. Both parents are equal before the law and the family courts start from that position.

Enforcement Law Reform Group

Peter Bottomley: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs if she will publish the minutes of the Enforcement Law Reform Group meeting held on 16 January 2007.

Harriet Harman: My Department is not responsible for the Enforcement Law Reform Group, which is independent of Government. Minutes from the meeting have already been published and can currently be found online on the Credit Collections and Risk magazine website.

Fixed Penalties

Theresa May: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs what percentage of  (a) fixed penalties and  (b) fines imposed by the courts in England and Wales were collected in full in each year between 1997 and 2006.

Harriet Harman: Table 1 shows the number of fixed penalties issued and the percentage of those fitted penalties that were paid since 1997. Table 2 shows numbers of penalty notices for disorder issued and the percentage paid since inception of the scheme in 2004.
	Table 3 details the fines payment rate for the last seven years. Data are collected on the value of financial penalties (including fines) imposed and outstanding and cannot be separated out to identify the percentage of fines imposed in any year that were collected, be it partially or in full.
	
		
			  Table 1: Fixed penalties( 1) 
			  Calendar year  Total number of fixed penalty notices (FPNs) issued (million)  Percentage of FPNs paid in full 
			 1997 3.4 77 
			 1998 3.4 78 
			 1999 3.2 79 
			 2000 3.1 80 
			 2001 3.0 82 
			 2002 3.1 84 
			 2003 3.6 87 
			 2004 3.4 (2)— 
			 (1) Figures supplied by Home Office RDS (2) Data due for publication June 2007 
		
	
	
		
			  Table 2: Penalty notices for disorder (PNDs)( 1) 
			  Calendar year  Total number of PNDs issued  Percentage of PNDs paid in full 
			 2004 63,639 52 
			 2005 146,481 53 
			 (1) Figures supplied by Home Office RDS 
		
	
	
		
			  Table 3: Fines payment rate( 1) 
			  Financial year  Payment rate—England and Wales (percentage) 
			 1999-2000 62 
			 2000-01 63 
			 2001-02 59 
			 2002-03 55 
			 2003-04 74 
			 2004-05 80 
			 2005-06 83 
			 2006-07 year-to-date (April-January) 91 
			 (1) Figures supplied by HMCS.  Note: Payment Rate = Amount Paid divided by New Net Amount Owed The primary performance indicator is the payment rate. It is defined as the amount paid into court as a percentage of the new net amount owed. Methods of calculating the new net amounts owed have changed a number of times and are detailed as follows: September 1999 to March 2003—New Net Amount Owed includes Legally Cancelled amounts, Civil monies and Confiscation Orders, April 2003 to December 2003—New Net Amount Owed excludes Legally Cancelled amounts, Civil monies and Confiscation Orders, January 2004 to July 2004—New Net Amount Owed excludes Legally Cancelled amounts, Administratively Cancelled amounts, Civil monies and Confiscation Orders. July 2004 onwards—New Net Amount Owed excludes Legally Cancelled amounts, Administratively Cancelled amounts, Civil monies and Confiscation Orders, but includes Amounts Written Back. 
		
	
	From April 2003 onwards, confiscation and civil amounts have not been included in any of the enforcement calculations. It is not possible to separate those elements out from the figures before that date. As a result of these revisions, direct year-on-year comparisons cannot be made.

John Smith Memorial Trust

David Jones: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs what  (a) financial and  (b) other support her Department gave to the John Smith Memorial Trust in each of the last three years.

Harriet Harman: My Department has provided funding for the John Smith Memorial Trust's Fellowships for young leaders from the former Soviet Union. In the last three years, funding was as follows:
	
		
			   Amount (£) 
			 2004-05 295,755 
			 2005-06 305,000 
			 2006-07 312,000 
		
	
	My Department also provides short placements for those Fellows with an interest in the Department's areas of work.

Legal Aid

Christopher Fraser: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs how many solicitors have given notice of their intention to cease to offer  (a) criminal and  (b) family legal aid services if the proposed reforms of legal aid are implemented.

Vera Baird: The Government are committed to controlling legal aid expenditure. A small number of practitioners have recently informed the LSC that they do not intend to continue doing legal aid work. This is not unusual, as the number of providers in the market has always fluctuated. There will be no effect on the provision of service to clients in any area. These few solicitors have made this assertion without sight of either the proposed new fee levels (crime and family), or the structure of the process for competitive tendering (crime), both of which the LSC are due to consult on shortly.

Legal Aid

Anne McIntosh: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs what recent representations she has received on the new system of legal aid provision.

Vera Baird: I meet frequently with legal aid practitioners and other interested parties to discuss aspects of the legal aid reform programme. I also receive correspondence from MPs, representative bodies, practitioner groups and individual practitioners.

Legal Aid: Northamptonshire

Philip Hollobone: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs what effect she expects her reforms of the legal aid system to have on legal aid provision in Northamptonshire.

Vera Baird: The Government's proposals, set out in "Legal Aid Reform: the Way Ahead", will ensure that legal aid continues to be available for those people who require legal assistance. The reforms will ensure that legal aid spending can be placed on a sustainable footing and spending rebalanced between civil, family and criminal legal aid. As part of these reforms, the Legal Services Commission (LSC) will be introducing a new civil help fee scheme from October 2007, under which 68 per cent. of providers in the LSC region, which includes Northamptonshire, will see their fees increase.

Legal Aid: Wales

Roger Williams: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs how much was spent on legal aid in Wales in each year since 1992; and if she will make a statement.

Vera Baird: Legal aid expenditure in Wales earlier than 1999-2000 pre-dates the current management information systems and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.
	Legal aid funding is administered centrally and is not granted to specific geographical areas.
	An individual based in one area can receive legal help and representation from a legal service provider based in another. The following table shows the amounts paid to legal service providers based in Wales across all areas of legal aid.
	Figures for the Crown court are based on the bills paid for proceedings in Crown court locations based in Wales and Chester.
	
		
			  £ million 
			   Legal aid paid for licensed work in civil matters—including representation where available  Legal aid paid for controlled work in civil matters limited to legal advice and assistance  Legal aid paid for legal advice given in criminal matters and also representation in criminal proceedings in the magistrates' courts  Legal aid paid under individual case contracts in lengthy and complex criminal cases (VHCCs)  Legal aid paid by the Crown court locations in Wales and Chester 
			 1999-2000 37.3 ((1))— ((1))— ((1))— ((1))— 
			 2000-01 27.0 7.2 ((1))— ((1))— ((1))— 
			 2001-02 30.8 9. 1 26.4 0.2 22.9 
			 2002-03 26.8 11. 1 29.9 0.2 28.3 
			 2003-04 32.2 11. 7 29.8 0.1 29.7 
			 2004-05 31.0 11. 2 28.8 0.9 26.5 
			 2005-06 34.8 11. 5 28.3 1.5 25.8 
			 ((1)) Data not available

Legal Aid: Wellingborough

Peter Bone: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs how many firms provide legal aid services in Wellingborough; and what the average number of such firms is per constituency.

Vera Baird: The Legal Services Commission (LSC) does not hold data based on constituency boundaries. However, in the Wellingborough area there are currently eight contracted legal aid providers. The local need for legal aid provision will vary due to a number of factors, such as population and affluence, and a crude average is unlikely to reflect the true need of the local area. As at 31 March 2006, there were 4,101 legal aid providers in England and Wales.

Prisoners

David Laws: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs how many and what percentage of prisoners  (a) began and  (b) completed a course resulting in a (i) educational and (ii) professional qualification whilst in prison in each of the last five years.

Phil Hope: I have been asked to reply.
	Data were not previously collected in a format that would enable the information requested to be provided. However, since the introduction of the Offender Learning and Skills Service (OLASS) across England with effect from 31 July 2006, the Learning and Skills Council (LSC) is collecting information about offender learners and their achievements. The following data relate to full qualifications, or units towards full qualifications, achieved by offenders in custody over the age of 16 since that date.
	
		
			  Month  Total number of learners at start of month  New learners (included in column 1)  Full/part qualifications achieved  Full/part qualifications achieved as a percentage of total learners( 1) 
			 August 2006 21,175 9,915 14,036 66.3 
			 September 2006 22,326 10,115 12,338 55.2 
			 October 2006 23,795 10,954 11,970 50.3 
			 November 2006 22,514 10,088 11,496 51.0 
			 December 2006 24,466 7,401 10,730 43.8 
			 January 2007 23,503 10,348 12,566 53.4 
			 Total 137,779 58,821 73,136 53.0 
			 (1) Individual learners may achieve more than one full/part qualification

Unpaid Fines

Peter Bottomley: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs how many liability orders for unpaid  (a) council tax,  (b) business rates,  (c) parking charge notices and  (d) child support and unexecuted magistrates court warrants for unpaid fines were issued in (i) London and (ii) elsewhere in England in the last period for which figures are available.

Harriet Harman: My Department does not collect management information on numbers of liability orders issued by magistrates courts.

CULTURE MEDIA AND SPORT

Museum Collections

Rosie Cooper: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what steps her Department is taking to encourage museums to share their collections and take them into schools in West Lancashire.

David Lammy: As a result of our investment in the Renaissance in the regions programme, we have seen a 50 per cent. increase in engagement between school-aged children and museums since 2003. This has come about through more school visits and a seven-fold increase in participation in learning outreach activities.

Freeview

John Grogan: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what representations she has received on the allocation of sufficient spectrum to Freeview to ensure its ability to offer higher definition television.

Shaun Woodward: We have received a number of representations about the digital dividend review including some on high definition.
	However, issues about spectrum use are the responsibility of Ofcom. We will continue to consider stakeholders' and Ofcom's views.

Racism in Sport

Stephen Hepburn: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what funding her Department provides towards campaigns to prevent racism in sport; and if she will make a statement.

Richard Caborn: Sport England provides an annual grant of approximately £300,000 to Sporting Equals, which champions race equality in sport.
	Also through Sport England, the Government provide funding to the Football Foundation, the UK's largest sports charity, which supports anti-racism campaigns in football like 'Kick it Out' and 'Show Racism the Red Card'.

Culture: Huddersfield

Barry Sheerman: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what support her Department has provided for cultural activity in Huddersfield in the last 10 years.

David Lammy: The programmes provided by my Department and its non-departmental public bodies (NDPBs) over the last decade have made a significant contribution to the provision of culture in Huddersfield.
	Events such as the Huddersfield Contemporary Music Festival have undoubtedly played an important role in improving the quality of life in the town. In early 2007 the Huddersfield Contemporary Music Festival was awarded £389,500 from Arts Council England; this investment will help to secure the long-term future of one of Europe's leading international new music festivals.

Football Governance

Bob Russell: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, when she last met the football authorities to discuss governance of football.

Richard Caborn: I have met representatives of the Football Association to discuss governance of football on a number of occasions, most recently on 7 March 2007.
	The proposals outlined by Lord Burns in his review of the FA were passed in October, when the FA Council voted to implement every single reform.
	However, The FA shareholders must also approve them and I understand they are due to meet on 29 May.

School Sports

Barbara Keeley: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, if she will make a statement on Government support for competitive sport in schools.

Richard Caborn: Through the national school sport strategy the Government are revitalising competitive school sport
	The 2005-06 school sport survey showed that:
	97 per cent. of schools held a competitive sports day,
	71 per cent. of pupils were involved in intra-school competition, and
	37 per cent. of pupils from years 4-11 were involved in inter-school competition, up 12 per cent. on 2004.
	We are developing a network of competition managers across school sport partnerships to continue to improve the quality and quantity of competitive school sport. In addition, we have established the UK school games.

Arts: Hartlepool

Iain Wright: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how much Government funding local artists in  (a) Hartlepool constituency and  (b) Tees Valley sub-region received in each of the last 10 years.

Shaun Woodward: The tables show the Arts Council's funding commitments to local artists in Hartlepool and Tees Valley in the last 10 years. Local artists are defined as individual artists living in Hartlepool or Tees Valley. Grant in aid figures exclude grants given to regularly funded organisations.
	
		
			  (a) Local artists in the Hartlepool constituency 
			  £ 
			   Grant in aid  Lottery 
			 1997-98 1,284 0 
			 1998-99 2,628 0 
			 1999-2000 3,127 0 
			 2000-01 709 0 
			 2001-02 3,867 0 
			 2002-03 6,476 0 
			 2003-04 0 0 
			 2004-05 0 5,000 
			 2005-06 0 0 
			 2006-07 1,500 0 
			 Total 19,590 5,000 
		
	
	
		
			  (b) Local artists in the Tees valley sub-region 
			  £ 
			   Grant in aid  Lottery 
			 1997-98 15,509 0 
			 1998-99 18,771 0 
			 1999-2000 24,513 20,900 
			 2000-01 4,950 26,550 
			 2001-02 17,859 0 
			 2002-03 52,355 0 
			 2003-04 91,862 0 
			 2004-05 46,102 0 
			 2005-06 53,313 0 
			 2006-07 104,954 0 
			 Total 430,188 47,450

Arts: Hartlepool

Iain Wright: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how much public money was spent on arts projects in  (a) Hartlepool constituency and  (b) Tees Valley sub-region in each of the last 10 years.

Shaun Woodward: The tables show the Arts Council's funding commitments to arts projects in Hartlepool and Tees Valley in the last 10 years. Grant in aid figures exclude grants given to regularly funded organisations.
	
		
			  (a) Arts projects in the Hartlepool constituency 
			  £ 
			   Grant in aid  Lottery 
			 1997-98 76,485 517,568 
			 1998-99 75,533 75,757 
			 1999-2000 154,866 0 
			 2000-01 162,209 7,850 
			 2001-02 114,841 48,000 
			 2002-03 36,922 0 
			 2003-04 17,879 28,578 
			 2004-05 29,055 2,650 
			 2005-06 97,721 0 
			 2006-07 86,363 11,850 
			 Total 851,875 692,253 
		
	
	
		
			  (b) Arts projects in the Tees valley sub-region 
			  £ 
			   Grant in aid  Lottery 
			 1997-98 610,563 816,961 
			 1998-99 685,460 357,243 
			 1999-2000 966,873 63,000 
			 2000-01 1,043,282 250,287 
			 2001-02 844,498 426,078 
			 2002-03 216,985 478,215 
			 2003-04 245,714 4,930,246 
			 2004-05 533,721 357,693 
			 2005-06 786,917 628,336 
			 2006-07 897,551 432,343 
			 Total 6,831,564 8,740,402

Departments: Freedom of Information

Hugo Swire: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what criteria she applies when deciding the information to be included in response to  (a) written parliamentary questions and  (b) Freedom of Information requests; and if she will undertake an assessment (i) of the volume of information given in response to each category of inquiry and (ii) the reasons for any discrepancies in the volume of information supplied.

David Lammy: The Cabinet Office guidance on answering parliamentary questions provides advice to officials on answering parliamentary questions. The guidance covers situations where similar information has been requested in a parliamentary question and in a Freedom of Information request. Copies of the guidance are available in the Library. Freedom of Information requests are considered in accordance with the legislation.

Departments: Public Appointments

Julia Goldsworthy: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport if she will list the former hon. Members who left Parliament in 2005 who have since been appointed to public bodies by her Department, broken down by party; and who was responsible for making each appointment.

Tessa Jowell: None of the former hon. Members who left Parliament in 2005 have been appointed to a public body by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport.

Departments: Redundancy

Justine Greening: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport 
	(1)  how many people in her Department participated in  (a) involuntary and  (b) voluntary staff exit schemes in each year since 1997-98; and if she will make a statement;
	(2)  how many people in her Department who participated in  (a) involuntary and  (b) voluntary staff exit schemes in each year since 1997-98 were paid between (i) £0 to £25,000, (ii) £25,001 to £50,000, (iii) £50,001 to £75,000, (iv) £75,001 to £100,000 and (v) over £100,000; and if she will make a statement.

Shaun Woodward: I refer the hon. Member to the reply given to her by the Under-Secretary of State, the Minister for Culture, Media and Sport, my hon. Friend the Member for Tottenham (Mr. Lammy), on 28 February 2007,  Official Report, column 1401W.

Digital Switchover

Don Foster: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport pursuant to the Answer of 3 July 2006,  Official Report, column 501W, on digital switchover, what progress has been made on ensuring that additional energy costs of set-top boxes are reduced; and if she will provide details of the special codes that she intends to introduce.

Margaret Hodge: I have been asked to reply.
	Government and Digital UK, the independent, non-profit organisation leading the process of digital TV switchover in the UK, are working to encourage the reduction of energy consumption for digital TV equipment as far as possible:
	We are promoting to consumers the use of digital TVs and set- top boxes with low levels of energy consumption. These can be identified by the "Energy Saving Recommended" logo;
	Manufacturers are being encouraged to reduce both the "on" and the "stand-by" power consumption of household appliances through the adoption of design improvements and adherence to maximum power consumption levels set out in the voluntary European Code of Conduct on Energy Efficiency of Digital TV Service Systems;
	We are continuing to work with retailers on the development of a voluntary scheme to encourage the purchase of energy efficient consumer electronics, as announced in Budget 2006;
	Government are committed to using their own purchasing power to bring forward more sustainable products. For example, set-top boxes provided through the Digital Switchover Help Scheme will be expected to meet the European Code of Conduct on Energy Efficiency of Digital TV Service Systems.

Elgin Marbles

Mark Field: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what recent discussions her Department has had with the British Museum on the future of the Elgin Marbles.

Tessa Jowell: My Department is in regular contact with the British Museum on issues relating to the Parthenon Sculptures. Decisions on the future of the sculptures are a matter for the British Museum trustees.

Elgin Marbles

Mark Field: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what recent discussions her Department has had with the Government of Greece on the Elgin Marbles; what her policy is on  (a) ownership and  (b) loan to Greece of the Marbles; and if she will make a statement.

Tessa Jowell: My Department has had no discussions with the Greek Government on the Parthenon Sculptures since December 2004. Items in the collection of the British Museum are vested in the care of the trustees under the British Museum Act 1963. Issues relating to the ownership or loan of the Parthenon Sculptures are matters for the trustees and Government do not intervene.

Energy: Conservation

Bob Russell: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what requirement there is for the inclusion of energy saving and energy producing features in the Government's Better Public Building initiative.

Shaun Woodward: As part of its aim of achieving excellent design for all new public buildings, the Better Public Building initiative promotes the Government's common minimum standards for the procurement of built environments in the public sector. These apply across the public building programme. Energy performance is included within the sustainability section of these standards.

Football: World Cup

Anne Moffat: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what assessment she has made of the likely benefits which will result from bidding to host the 2018 Football World cup.

Richard Caborn: No assessment of the likely benefits that will result from bidding to host the 2018 Football World cup has been made by the Government. The Government feasibility study "Hosting the World Cup" acknowledges both the potential for wider economic benefits and intangible benefits arising from hosting such a major sporting event. The study also advises that, should the Football Association bid to host the event, they should commission an independent study into the wider economic benefits of hosting the competition to be published alongside the bid document.

Licensed Premises: East Sussex

Nigel Waterson: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how many licensed premises there are in  (a) Eastbourne and  (b) East Sussex; and how many of these are (i) public houses, (ii) clubs, (iii) supermarkets and (iv) off-licences.

David Lammy: This information is not held centrally. The Licensing Act 2003 devolved the administration of the licensing regime to individual licensing authorities, who may hold information about licensed premises in their area.

National Lottery: Hampshire

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what total amount was paid in Lottery grants in each Hampshire local and unitary authority for  (a) community,  (b) leisure,  (c) environment,  (d) housing,  (e) social inclusion and  (f) other purposes in each of the last five financial years.

Richard Caborn: We are not able to provide the information in the form requested because Lottery grants are not categorised under these headings.
	The value of new Lottery grants awarded in each of the good cause areas in each of the last five completed financial years is given in the following tables. This information is derived from the Department's Lottery Grants Database, which uses information supplied by the Lottery distributors and can be searched at:
	www.lottery.culture.gov.uk
	
		
			  Basingstoke and Deane 
			  £000 (rounded to nearest £1,000) 
			   Arts  Heritage  Sport  Charitable Expenditure  Health, Education and Environment 
			 2002-03 60 0 0 3 480 
			 2003-04 36 78 0 163 313 
			 2004-05 64 0 918 151 126 
			 2005-06 46 44 0 389 21 
			 2006-07 281 0 0 604 0 
		
	
	
		
			  East Hants 
			  £000 (rounded to nearest £1,000) 
			   Arts  Heritage  Sport  Charitable Expenditure  Health, Education and Environment 
			 2002-03 10 48 39 507 92 
			 2003-04 14 0 365 216 0 
			 2004-05 22 96 94 183 22 
			 2005-06 10 50 0 876 33 
			 2006-07 0 90 0 143 0 
		
	
	
		
			  Eastleigh 
			  £1,000 (rounded to nearest £1,000) 
			   Arts  Heritage  Sport  Charitable Expenditure  Health, Education and Environment 
			 2002-03 153 0 267 290 548 
			 2003-04 140 135 1,263 60 1,337 
			 2004-05 64 0 6,090 58 109 
			 2005-06 131 15 5,811 379 130 
			 2006-07 23 0 0 96 0 
		
	
	
		
			  Fareham 
			  £000 (rounded to nearest £1,000) 
			   Arts  Heritage  Sport  Charitable Expenditure  Health, Education and Environment 
			 2002-03 9 0 110 33 1,154 
			 2003-04 0 0 0 69 1,388 
			 2004-05 15 17 0 23 220 
			 2005-06 11 0 0 106 137 
			 2006-07 0 0 0 92 10 
		
	
	
		
			  Gosport 
			  £000 (rounded to nearest £1,000) 
			   Arts  Heritage  Sport  Charitable Expenditure  Health, Education and Environment 
			 2002-03 0 2,151 0 166 76 
			 2003-04 4 38 751 56 0 
			 2004-05 0 0 1,484 26 275 
			 2005-06 68 0 0 236 15 
			 2006-07 0 25 0 35 0 
		
	
	
		
			  Hart 
			  £000 (rounded to nearest £1,000) 
			   Arts  Heritage  Sport  Charitable Expenditure  Health, Education and Environment 
			 2002-03 0 0 0 275 0 
			 2003-04 22 462 0 133 0 
			 2004-05 11 0 0 27 114 
			 2005-06 3 0 0 31 15 
			 2006-07 1 45 0 51 0 
		
	
	
		
			  Havant 
			  £000 (rounded to nearest £1,000) 
			   Arts  Heritage  Sport  Charitable Expenditure  Health, Education and Environment 
			 2002-03 17 0 909 142 156 
			 2003-04 82 38 0 245 215 
			 2004-05 106 0 0 139 389 
			 2005-06 67 0 0 383 38 
			 2006-07 2 0 0 101 0 
		
	
	
		
			  New Forest 
			  £000 (rounded to nearest £1,000) 
			   Arts  Heritage  Sport  Charitable Expenditure  Health, Education and Environment 
			 2002-03 50 66 0 373 1,294 
			 2003-04 49 899 1,225 528 1,419 
			 2004-05 314 1,000 62 572 569 
			 2005-06 69 0 0 426 126 
			 2006-07 42 44 0 438 0 
		
	
	
		
			  Portsmouth 
			  £000 (rounded to nearest £1,000) 
			   Arts  Heritage  Sport  Charitable Expenditure  Health, Education and Environment 
			 2002-03 90 4,218 702 496 1,157 
			 2003-04 83 79 552 1,640 1,487 
			 2004-05 995 951 5,714 651 763 
			 2005-06 302 0 80 1,148 408 
			 2006-07 141 175 0 485 0 
		
	
	
		
			  Rushmoor 
			  £000 (rounded to nearest £1,000) 
			   Arts  Heritage  Sport  Charitable Expenditure  Health, Education and Environment 
			 2002-03 0 0 389 220 54 
			 2003-04 1 48 343 31 1,190 
			 2004-05 0 14 0 41 125 
			 2005-06 11 50 0 295 20 
			 2006-07 0 0 0 26 9 
		
	
	
		
			  Southampton 
			  £000 (rounded to nearest £1,000) 
			   Arts  Heritage  Sport  Charitable Expenditure  Health, Education and Environment 
			 2002-03 253 7 7,234 627 446 
			 2003-04 72 753 0 1,092 1,257 
			 2004-05 279 1,116 927 439 1,956 
			 2005-06 295 454 17 433 403 
			 2006-07 35 494 0 778 9 
		
	
	
		
			  Test Valley 
			  £000 (rounded to nearest £1,000) 
			   Arts  Heritage  Sport  Charitable Expenditure  Health, Education and Environment 
			 2002-03 50 8 0 194 32 
			 2003-04 13 457 452 128 1,603 
			 2004-05 17 0 60 328 109 
			 2005-06 89 23 0 418 149 
			 2006-07 5 0 0 108 0 
		
	
	
		
			  Winchester 
			  £000 (rounded to nearest £1,000) 
			   Arts  Heritage  Sport  Charitable Expenditure  Health, Education and Environment 
			 2002-03 264 422 246 429 1,292 
			 2003-04 635 93 12 341 664 
			 2004-05 366 721 2,995 419 142 
			 2005-06 526 2,622 34 1,241 66 
			 2006-07 276 73 78 862 0

Olympic Games

Hugh Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport pursuant to her Oral Statement of 15 March 2007,  Official Report, columns 450-52, on the 2012 Olympics, if she will list the regeneration projects to be financed by the £1.7 billion she announced in her statement last Thursday which are not necessary to stage the London 2012 Olympics.

Tessa Jowell: holding answer 23 March 2007
	 The regeneration projects include enabling works (such as site remediation and demolition), utilities, the power lines undergrounding, roads, bridges, tunnels and other structures, landscaping, and legacy conversion.
	These are an integral part of our programme to stage the greatest sporting event in our country and act as a catalyst for the most ambitious regeneration programme in recent memory.

Olympic Games: Greater London

Andrew Selous: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what recent discussions she has had with colleagues in other Departments on the impact on their budgets of the increased cost of the Olympics.

Tessa Jowell: We have been engaged in a rigorous review of costs since London was awarded the games in July 2005. Following the conclusion of discussions within Government, I announced on 15 March 2007,  Official Report, column 450, a budget for the Olympic Delivery Authority (ODA) and on a number of issues including wider security, tax and contingency provision.

Olympic Games: Greater London

Hugh Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how the £738 million of private sector funding itemised as part of the public sector funding package for the 2012 Olympics will be raised.

Tessa Jowell: holding answer 8 March  2007
	Private sector funding has never been part of the public sector funding package, but at the time of the bid, we were pursuing options for private sector funding. The bid reflected this potential, but in light of further work and advice after the bid, it seemed incompatible to achieve funding with the sort of time scale that was going to be necessary.
	As I said when replying to the hon. Member's questions on 15 March after making my statement to the House
	"We have now allowed for a private sector contribution in the budget, but on a pessimistic basis against the full expectation of what might be raised ... Negotiations are underway ... with different private sector partners so it is possible, but not certain that that may change.—[ Official Report, 15 March 2007; vol. 458, col. 455]"
	This excludes the Olympic village where the major share of funding will come from the private sector.

Olympic Games: Greater London

Don Foster: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport if she will break down by main budget heading the Olympic Delivery Authority's planned expenditure for each year until 2012; and if she will make a statement.

Tessa Jowell: I am not yet in a position to be able to provide this breakdown. This will be detailed in the Olympic Delivery Authority's Corporate Plan which it is currently developing and plans to publish by the end of the summer.

Olympic Games: Greater London

Don Foster: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport when construction will begin on the Olympic sites at  (a) Horseguards' Parade for volleyball,  (b) the Royal Artillery Barracks for indoor shooting,  (c) the four arenas at the Excel exhibition centre,  (d) the temporary Greenwich arena for badminton and gymnastics,  (e) Greenwich Park for equestrian events and pentathlon arenas,  (f) Hyde Park for the triathlon,  (g) All England Lawn Tennis Club at Wimbledon,  (h) the Millennium Dome for artistic gymnastics and basketball and  (i) Lord's cricket ground; and if she will make a statement.

Tessa Jowell: The Olympic Delivery Authority (ODA) is responsible for construction at the Royal Artillery Barracks and the temporary Greenwich arena. The ODA is currently working with the London Organising Committee for the 2012 Olympic games and Paralympic games (LOCOG) to finalise each venue's requirements for the games, which will inform the construction programme.
	The remaining venues or sites are covered by LOCOG as part of their programme to deliver temporary additional facilities and services (e.g. temporary seating, platforms, signage) required to support all elements of operations during the games. Commencement of the delivery of these facilities is scheduled for early 2012.
	There will also be some earlier work to provide for test events in 2011.

Olympic Games: Greater London

Don Foster: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what assumptions were made of the total level of private investment in the Olympic Village in the  (a) Arup report,  (b) Olympic bid document,  (c) PricewaterhouseCoopers' Olympic Games Impact Study,  (d) Faithful and Gould analysis of costs and  (e) her evidence to the Culture, Media and Sport Committee on 21 November 2006; and if she will make a statement.

Tessa Jowell: The Faithful and Gould report was not commissioned by DCMS and we are not aware of any estimates they may have made. All the other reports assumed that the level of private investment in the Olympic Village would be 100 per cent.
	After bid win, I instituted a thorough cost review. As a result, it was clear that we would need to compensate private developers for the additional costs incurred in meeting the Olympic specifications and timing. In my evidence to the Culture, Media and Sport Committee on 21 November 2006, I therefore said that we expected the majority of the financing for the development of the Olympic Village would come from the private sector, but the specific arrangements for this had yet to be finalised.
	The Olympic Delivery Authority have since announced that they are in talks with Lend Lease for the development of the Olympic Village.

Olympic Games: Greater London

Don Foster: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport if she will break down the £1.275 billion of contingency funding for the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games reported in the Regulatory Impact Assessment for the Horserace Betting and Olympic Lottery Act 2004 according to  (a) overall programme contingency funding,  (b) individual venue contingencies in (i) total and (ii) as a percentage of that venue's budget and  (c) other; and if she will make a statement.

Tessa Jowell: The £1.275 billion reported in the regulatory impact assessment for the Horserace Betting and Olympic Lottery Act 2004 was not broken down in this degree of detail at that stage.
	Following London winning the bid I have instituted a thorough review of costs and provisions, as I made clear I would, to the House of Commons on 15 May 2003. I made a statement on funding provision for the 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games on 15 March.
	As a result the ODA will be given a budget to cover the construction costs as a whole of £5.3 billion up to 2012 comprising:
	£3.1 billion for the building of Olympic Park and venues—the core Olympic costs;
	£1.7 billion for the Olympic infrastructure and regeneration, linking the park to the rest of the Lower Lea Valley and;
	£500 million for programme contingency.

Olympic Games: Greater London

Mark Francois: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport 
	(1)  whether her revised Olympic budget of 15 March contains an estimate for the potential amount of planning gain supplement tax that may be incurred;
	(2)  whether she has received any advice from the Treasury on the likely impact of the proposed planning gain supplement tax on the Olympic Games budget.

Tessa Jowell: holding answer 22 March 2007
	 The Government are now carefully considering the responses to the consultations on the planning gain supplement (PGS) which closed recently. If, after further consideration, the Government decide to proceed with PGS then it would be introduced no earlier than 2009.
	The Government announced at the 2006 pre-Budget report that transitional arrangements would aim to ensure that developments already formally in the planning process would not be subject to PGS.
	The Government propose that for development where planning permission was granted before an appropriate appointed day in the future, including for outline planning permissions, PGS would not apply.

Olympic Games: Greater London

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport pursuant to the answer of 14 March 2007,  Official Report, column 324W, on the Olympic Games: Greater London, what  (a) discussions she has held and  (b) correspondence she has received from (i) the Great Britain Target Shooting Federation, (ii) the Clay Pigeon Shooting Association, (iii) the British International Clay Target Shooting Federation and (iv) other shooting organisations on the siting of the Olympic shooting competition at Woolwich; what their views were on the decision; and if she will make a statement.

Richard Caborn: DCMS Ministers have not held discussions with shooting organisations on the siting of the Olympic shooting events. Ministers have received correspondence from the National Rifle Association, the British International Clay Target Shooting Federation and Southern Counties Shooting Ltd. over the selection of venue for the Olympic shooting events, and suggesting several alternative venues. I refer the hon. Member to the answer given on 14 March 2007,  Official Report, column 324W, on the selection of the location for the Olympic shooting events.

Radio Frequencies: Licensing

Michael Fallon: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what assessment she has made of the likely impact on the production of live and recorded entertainment of proposals to sell the radio spectrum.

David Lammy: Ofcom has assessed the impact of its proposals to auction spectrum released by switchover. They have recognised that there is a risk of business disruption for the above sectors. To address this issue, Ofcom has proposed that spectrum access be guaranteed up until 2012, for professional PMSE uses. After that period, the regulator proposes to ensure that interleaved spectrum is auctioned so as to include packages that will be suitable for PMSE use—though other uses will not be excluded.
	Ofcom will publish a further discussion paper specifically on PMSE, in May.

Sports: Finance

Mark Tami: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what support her Department provides for sports at the grass-roots level.

Richard Caborn: Since 1997, the Government and national lottery distributing bodies have committed over £3 billion to grass-roots sport which includes over 4,000 new or refurbished facilities, 3,000 community sports coaches and tax relief to over 4,000 amateur sports clubs.

Tourism

David Hamilton: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what assessment she has made of the outcomes of the recent British Tourism Week; and if she will make a statement.

Shaun Woodward: I congratulate VisitBritain, UKInbound, and the other organisations which were involved in making British Tourism Week such a success in raising the profile of the sector.
	VisitBritain is evaluating the benefits of the programme of events to the industry with a view to making this an annual event.

Tourism: Smoking

Alan Duncan: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what assessment she has made of the likely effect of the ban on smoking in public places in the Health Act 2006 on tourism to the UK from the middle east.

David Lammy: None. Evidence from the Republic of Ireland, provided by Tourism Ireland to VisitBritain shows that the smoking ban introduced in April 2004 has not produced any general adverse effect on inbound tourism numbers. VisitBritain's overseas offices are providing information about the smoking bans in force in Scotland and Wales, and to be introduced in England, to potential visitors from the middle east.

FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH AFFAIRS

Afghanistan: Drugs

William Hague: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs in which areas alternative livelihood projects have been set up in Afghanistan; and what estimate has been made of the numbers of farmers participating.

Hilary Benn: I have been asked to reply.
	DFID's Livelihoods programme, worth nearly £150 million from 2006-09, helps support the Government of Afghanistan's National Priority Programmes aimed at developing alternative legal livelihood opportunities. These programmes address the multiple constraints that prevent farmers from moving away from poppy cultivation, including access to credit, markets and productive infrastructure. DFID receives regular progress reports from each of the programmes it funds. The following table shows DFID's contribution to these programmes. It highlights achievements and the number of beneficiaries to date.
	
		
			  Programme name and DFID contribution  Beneficiaries  Provinces  Achievements 
			 National Solidarity programme (NSP) £17 million over 3 years 15,103 communities All 34 provinces 16,343 Community Development Councils have been established. Over £146 million spent on areas of agriculture, education, health, irrigation, power, public buildings, transport and water supply. 
			 
			 National Rural Access programme (NRAP) £18 million in 2005-06 375,000 households across Afghanistan All 34 provinces 9,575 km roads built or repaired, as well as schools, health clinics and water schemes 
			 
			 Micro-Finance Investment Support Facility (MISFA) £20 million over 3 years 300,501 households, shopkeepers, tailors, and farmers among others. 75 per cent. of MISFA beneficiaries are women 20 provinces: Badakhshan Baghlan Balkh Bamyan Faryab Ghazni Helmand Herat Jawzjan Kabul Kapisa Kunarha Kunduz Laghman Logar Nangarhar Parwan Samangan Saripul Takhar Wardak Over £96 million of small loans distributed to 570,293 people 
		
	
	DFID has also provided £3 million to support the Research in Alternative Livelihoods Fund (RALF), which performs research into potential agricultural livelihoods options for rural Afghans. In addition, we support the Development of Sustainable Agriculture Livelihoods project in the Eastern Hazarajat (SALEH). This provides new and innovative ways for farmers to make a living in Eastern Hazarajat, for example, through honey-bee keeping and potato farming.

Afghanistan: Peace Keeping Operations

William Hague: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what steps her Department is taking to meet the Government's commitment to strengthen the work of the UK-led Provincial Reconstruction Team in Lashkar Gar in Helmand province as set out in the Enduring Relationship Action Plan 2006-07.

Margaret Beckett: Through the Provincial Reconstruction Team (PRT) in Helmand Province, Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) officials are leading a cross-governmental team in which development, governance, stabilisation, and police advisers are already working with the provincial government and local organisations to increase their capacity and to increase the stretch of the central Government. The PRT is now being strengthened by an additional five FCO officers to assist in this work. The Enduring Relationship Declaration and Action Plan highlights the UK's long term commitment to Afghanistan and its people, as they strive to achieve stability, security and prosperity.

Afghanistan: Scholarships

William Hague: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many Chevening Scholarships have been awarded to Afghan students since 2001; and what plans there are to widen access to Chevening Scholarships for Afghan students.

Margaret Beckett: There has been a total of 84 Chevening Scholarships awarded to Afghan students since 2001.
	Additionally, there were nine Chevening Fellowships awarded to Afghan students during this period.
	For 2007-08 sufficient funding has been allocated to increase the number of Afghan Chevening students from 10 to 16.

British Nationality: Overseas Residence

Shailesh Vara: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assistance and support is available to British citizens living and working abroad in countries other than EU countries, and who are married to a local citizen, if they are attacked or injured.

Kim Howells: We can provide consular assistance to British nationals overseas, subject to certain exceptions for dual nationals, whether or not they normally live in the UK. The consular assistance we can provide to British nationals who are victims of crime or require medical assistance is set out in "Support for British nationals abroad: A Guide". This is also available on the Foreign and Commonwealth Office website at www.fco.gov.uk A copy of the Consular Guide has also been placed in the Library of the House.

Burma

William Hague: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs pursuant to the answer of 19 February 2007,  Official Report, column 11W, on Burma, whether the UK is advocating a strengthening of the EU Common Position on Burma; and if she will make a statement.

Margaret Beckett: We believe that the present EU Common Position on Burma is the best achievable, given the views of some of our partners. Any additional measures would need the support of all other EU member states as the Common Position can only be amended by consensus. We do not believe that there would be consensus to amend the Common Position.

Burma: EU External Relations

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if she will take steps to strengthen the EU Common Position on Burma when it comes up for renewal.

Ian McCartney: The EU Common Position on Burma is adopted by consensus. Any amendment or strengthening of the Common Position needs to be agreed unanimously. Our discussions within the EU have indicated there is no consensus to amend the Common Position. Given the views of some of our EU partners, we believe that the current Common Position is currently the best achievable policy. Despite criticisms of it, the Common Position is valuable in uniting 27 nations in an expression of concern about the abuse of human rights and lack of democracy inside Burma.
	I raised the appalling human rights situation in Burma at the EU-Association of Southeast Asian Nations Foreign Ministers' meeting in Nuremberg on 15 March.

Burma: Ethnic Groups

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs 
	(1)  what reports she has received of the recent military activity by the Burmese Army in Karen state; and if she will make a statement;
	(2)  what recent reports she has received of  (a) attacks by the Burmese Army on Karen civilians and  (b) the displacement by the Burmese Army of civilians in the Mon Township;
	(3)  what recent reports she has received of attacks by the Burmese Army in the Papun District; and what her estimate is of the number of Karen villagers displaced by such attacks.

Ian McCartney: We are aware of reports from the Free Burma Rangers of recent military activity in Mon Township and Papun District and the displacement of up to 1,400 people. Officials from our Embassy in Rangoon do not have access to conflict areas and cannot confirm the number of displaced people. We have repeatedly condemned attacks on civilians and remain concerned about the situation in conflict areas in Burma which has resulted in a significant increase in the number of internally displaced people and refugees on the Thai/Burmese border.
	I raised our serious concerns about the Burmese army's offensive in Karen state when I called in the Burmese Ambassador on 15 June 2006 and wrote to the Burmese Foreign Minister on 5 July 2006.
	Most recently, I raised the Burmese regime's appalling human rights record at the EU-Association of Southeast Asian Nations ministerial meeting in Nuremberg on 15 March in the presence of the Burmese Deputy Foreign Minister.

Burma: Human Rights

Stephen Crabb: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs 
	(1)  what assessment she has made of the implications of reports she has received in the treatment of women of ethnic minorities in Burma by the Burmese Army for initiatives to improve the Burmese Government's record in human rights; and if she will make a statement;
	(2)  what representations she has received on the treatment of Chin women in Burma by the  (a) Burmese Army and  (b) other Burmese state agencies; and if she will make a statement.

Ian McCartney: We are aware of the report "Unsafe State" published by the Women's League of Chinland, documenting the abuses of Chin women at the hands of the Burmese authorities.
	On 24 January, I met representatives from the Women's League of Chinland and the Chin Human Rights Organisation to discuss the many difficulties faced by the Chin community in Burma, including sexual violence.
	We condemn the use of all forms of sexual violence and all other human rights violations. I raised the issue of sexual violence directly with the Burmese ambassador on 15 June 2006 and again in my letter to the Burmese Foreign Minister on 5 July 2006. I have raised our concerns about the human rights situation in Burma with the Governments of India, China, Thailand, Malaysia, Japan and South Korea.
	I raised Burma at the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva on 13 March. Most recently, I raised our concerns about Burma at the EU-Association of Southeast Asian Nations ministerial meeting on 15 March in the presence of the Burmese Deputy Foreign Minister.
	We have helped to ensure that resolutions at the UN General Assembly have called for an end to the use of rape and sexual violence by the armed forces in Burma. We shall continue, bilaterally and with international partners, to urge the Burmese regime to pursue laws and practices which will put an end to the Burmese army's use of sexual violence.

Burma: Human Rights

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what legal steps the Government has taken to enforce the Geneva Convention following the statement in the report of the United Nations Special Rapporteur on Burma on human rights abuses in conflict areas and humanitarian law.

Ian McCartney: We have repeatedly called on the Burmese Government to comply with all international law and applicable humanitarian law and raised our concerns directly with the regime and in international fora most recently when I raised the issue in my intervention at the EU-Association of South East Asian Nations Foreign Ministers' meeting in Nuremberg on 14 March.
	We fully support the work of Professor Pinheiro, the UN Special Rapporteur for Human Rights in Burma, and his reports on the Burmese regime's serious human rights violations.

Council of Europe

Robert Walter: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what the total cost of the United Kingdom Permanent Representation to the Council of Europe in Strasbourg was in 2005-06; and what the budgeted cost for the mission is in 2006-07.

Geoff Hoon: The local budget spend for financial year 2005-06 was £403,952 and is estimated to be £409,551 in 2006-07. This covers rent, rates, maintenance, furniture and utilities for all property, locally engaged staff pay (including pensions and social security), official travel and official vehicle costs, entertainment and other purchased goods and services.

Council of Europe

Robert Walter: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many  (a) diplomatic service staff and  (b) locally recruited staff are employed at the United Kingdom Permanent Representation to the Council of Europe in Strasbourg, broken down by pay grade.

Geoff Hoon: There are five diplomatic staff at Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) pay grades A2, B3, C4, D7 and SMS2 and five locally recruited staff; two at FCO pay grades LEIIIA and one each at grades LEIIIB, LEIV and LEVc, employed at the UK Permanent Representation to the Council of Europe.

Council of Europe

Robert Walter: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what the floor area is of rented accommodation occupied by the UK Permanent Representation to the Council of Europe in Strasbourg; what the costs associated with that accommodation were in the last year for which figures are available; what the floor area is of accommodation owned by the UK Government in Strasbourg; what the running costs of those buildings were in the last year for which figures are available; and what the latest open market valuation is of those buildings.

Geoff Hoon: The floor space of rented accommodation occupied by the UK Permanent Representation to the Council of Europe in Strasbourg is 940 square metres. This figure was 1,052 square metres in financial year 2005-06 and the rental costs were a total of £89,914.
	The floor space of the only property owned by the Government in Strasbourg is 635 square metres.
	Current accounting practices provide for a breakdown of running costs (utilities, rates, repairs and refurbishment) between residential and office accommodation, but not between owned and rented accommodation. The running costs for all accommodation in 2005-06 was £79,763, £46,068 for residential accommodation and £33,695 for office accommodation.
	The latest valuation of the one owned property is £715,139 based on a 2006 survey.

Council of Europe

Robert Walter: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many officials from Government Departments and agencies attended meetings at the Council of Europe  (a) in Strasbourg and  (b) elsewhere in each year between 2003 and 2006; how many visits for that purpose were made in each year; and how many overnight stays were associated with those visits in each year.

Geoff Hoon: There are approximately 80 Council of Europe committees attended by officials from Government Departments. The Government do not hold central records on all these attendances, the majority of which are independent of the UK Delegation to the Council of Europe based in Strasbourg. Several of the committees themselves have changed in structure and membership over the three-year period and are unlikely to maintain detailed attendance records. The information in the form requested is therefore not readily available and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

Departments: Public Appointments

Julia Goldsworthy: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if she will list the former hon. Members who left Parliament in 2005 who have since been appointed to public bodies by her Department, broken down by party; and who was responsible for making each appointment.

Geoff Hoon: I refer the hon. Member to the written answer given to her by my hon. Friend the Minister for the Middle East on 19 December 2005,  Official Report, column 2491W.

Departments: Redundancy

Justine Greening: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many people in her Department participated in  (a) involuntary and  (b) voluntary staff exit schemes in each year since 1997-98; and if she will make a statement.

Geoff Hoon: The number of officers who took early retirement from the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) on compensatory early retirement terms since 1997 are as follows:
	
		
			   Number 
			 1997-1998 54 
			 1998-1999 25 
			 1999-2000 35 
			 2000-2001 21 
			 2001-2002 23 
			 2002-2003 25 
			 2003-2004 33 
			 2004-2005 68 
			 2005-2006 172 
			 2006-2007 74 
		
	
	We have not been able to identify the number of officers who departed involuntarily within these figures. To check individual records for this purpose would incur disproportionate cost. It is our policy to do all we can to avoid or minimise compulsory redundancies.
	All the officers departed under the provisions of the civil service compensation schemes. As a result of the 2004 spending round we have carried out a restructuring exercise since 2004 to realise efficiency savings. This early retirement programme will enable us to reduce the size of the senior management structure in the FCO by 18 per cent. by 31 March 2008.

Departments: Redundancy

Justine Greening: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many people in her Department who participated in  (a) involuntary and  (b) voluntary staff exit schemes in each year since 1997-98 were paid between (i) £0 to £25,000, (ii) £25,001 to £50,000, (iii) £50,001 to £75,000, (iv) £75,001 to £100,000 and (v) over £100,000; and if she will make a statement.

Geoff Hoon: The following chart sets out the number of officers who have taken early retirement from the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) for each year since 2002 and the cost to the FCO of their compensation:
	
		
			  Total costs to FCO (£)  2002-03  2003-04  2004-05  2005-06  2006-07 
			 0-25,000 3 3 13 20 2 
			 25,001-50,000 3 5 14 38 17 
			 50,001-75,000 4 5 10 22 8 
			 75,001-100,000 5 4 5 22 12 
			 Over 100,001 10 16 26 70 35 
		
	
	We are unable to supply the requested information for the years 1997 to 2002; as this information is not readily available. To check individual records for this purpose, and to identify officers who may have taken involuntary early retirement, would incur disproportionate cost. It is our policy to do all we can to avoid compulsory redundancies.
	The terms of the compensation we paid to these officers were those set out in the standard civil service compensation schemes. The amount is determined chiefly by age and pension entitlements.
	As a result of the 2004 spending review we have carried out a restructuring exercise since 2004 to realise efficiency savings. This early retirement programme will enable us to reduce the size of the senior management structure in the FCO by 18 per cent. by 31 March 2008.

Diplomatic Service

Denis MacShane: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent discussions she has had with EU partners on sharing embassies; and if she will make a statement.

Geoff Hoon: There have been no recent official ministerial discussions with EU partners on sharing embassies.
	However, whenever a move of British Mission premises is under consideration, and where appropriate, officials explore the possibilities for co-location with EU partners and others.

Diplomatic Service: Languages

Theresa May: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many foreign language speakers were employed in the diplomatic service in each year between 1997 and 2006, broken down by language spoken.

Geoff Hoon: The following table shows the total number of Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) staff employed as of March 2007 who have a language qualification in one of the priority languages recorded on the FCO management information system.
	FCO staff will have varying degrees of fluency in these priority languages. In order to provide a year on year breakdown of language qualifications we would need to extract both the start and end dates of the qualification. This information was not mandatory on the previous management information system and any breakdown would not provide a true reflection of the total number of staff who have a language qualification.
	
		
			  FCO priority languages (critical languages that directly help achieve FCO strategic priorities)  Total number of FCO staff( 1)  with a language qualification recorded on the FCO management information system March 2007 
			 Arabic 230 
			 Burmese 9 
			 Mandarin/Cantonese 141 
			 Dari/Farsi/Pashtu 27 
			 French 3,030 
			 German 1,460 
			 Indonesian 46 
			 Italian 299 
			 Japanese 152 
			 Korean 24 
			 Portuguese (Brazilian and European) 195 
			 Russian 326 
			 Spanish (Latin American and European) 1,056 
			 Thai 42 
			 Turkish 90 
			 Urdu 49 
			 Vietnamese 11 
			 (1) Foreign and Commonwealth Office staff including a small number of monthly and fee paid officers.

Diplomatic Service: Retirement

Andrew MacKinlay: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs for what reason the practice by retiring ambassadors of sending valedictory telegrams has ceased.

Margaret Beckett: holding answer 29 March 2007
	The Foreign and Commonwealth Office is constantly modernising the way we operate. All Heads of Mission overseas are encouraged to provide their frank and confidential advice on policy and management issues at all stages of their posting, not just at the end. Modern communications allow this to be done in a more targeted way than the traditional valedictory telegram.

Diplomatic Service: Retirement

Andrew MacKinlay: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if she will place in the Library a copy of the valedictory telegram sent by Ambassador Roberts on the conclusion of his ambassadorship to Italy and his retirement from the diplomatic service.

Margaret Beckett: holding answer 29 March 2007
	Sir Ivor Roberts provided advice in his valedictory telegram on a confidential basis. Placing a copy of this telegram in the Library of the House would be likely to inhibit the frank and confidential provision of advice.

EU Gender Institute

John Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what measures  (a) have taken place and  (b) are planned in the UK by the EU Gender Institute; and if she will make a statement.

Meg Munn: I have been asked to reply.
	The regulation establishing the Institute entered into force on 19 January 2007.
	The Management Board is in the process of being set up.

European Union

William Cash: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs following the statement in the Berlin Declaration, whether it is the Government's policy to support a treaty to give effect to the statement that member states are united in the aim of placing the European Union on a renewed common basis before the European Parliament elections in 2009; and whether she agreed to the statement.

Geoff Hoon: The Declaration, marking the 50th anniversary signing of the Treaties of Rome, is a political statement recalling the historic achievements of the last 50 years, and looking ahead to the challenges that we, the member states of the EU, need to face together. It was right that the UK was part of that celebration.
	The Declaration was drafted by the German Presidency although they consulted member states, in the course of that process, on elements they wished to see included.
	At present, there is no consensus among EU member states on the future of the Constitutional Treaty. The German Presidency will present a report to the June European Council on the state of discussions on the question. The Government make no presumption on the outcome of these discussions. Their approach was set out in my written ministerial statement of 5 December 2006,  Official Report, columns 10-11WS.

European Union: Citizenship

John Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what steps the UK is taking under the Europe for Citizens programme (EU budget code 15 01 04 66); and if she will make a statement.

David Lammy: I have been asked to reply.
	The UK supports the new Europe for Citizens Programme, which runs until 2013. The Government hope that citizens in the UK will take up opportunities the programme offers. These include co-operation projects such as town twinning, structural support for civil society organisations of general European interest and the preservation of the main sites and archives associated with the deportations and the commemoration of the victims of Nazism and Stalinism. The judging of eligible projects will be carried out by independent assessors from member states co-ordinated in Brussels by the Commission. As with all such EU programmes, bureaucracy is being reduced to make it easier for UK citizens to join with their counterparts in other EU countries in participating.

Iraq: Casualties

Dai Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what estimate she has made of the number of Iraqi civilian fatalities since the 2003 invasion.

Geoff Hoon: I refer the hon. Member to the reply I gave to the hon. Member for Yeovil (Mr. Laws) on 25 January 2007,  Official Report, columns 1950-51W.

Iraq: Oil

Alan Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what the Government's policy is on disputes which might be considered by international courts or tribunals relating to the ownership and extraction rights of oil in Iraq.

Geoff Hoon: The Government have no policy on this matter. It is for the Government of Iraq to choose what measures it puts in place to resolve disputes in relation to its hydrocarbon sector.

Iraq: Oil

Alan Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what types of oil contracts her Department has considered for recommendation to the Iraqi Government; what representations her Department received from international oil companies on such contracts prior to making recommendations to the Iraqi Government; and what contract preferences were expressed by companies in such representations.

Geoff Hoon: We have made no recommendations to the Government of Iraq on the types of contract to include in its hydrocarbons legislation. We continue to urge Iraqi Ministers and officials to consider the benefits of a broad range of contract types and not to rule any out prematurely.
	We have received no representations from international oil companies recommending particular contract types.

Iraq: Oil

Alan Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what definition she uses of  (a) 'production-sharing agreements' for oil extraction and  (b) 'exploration and production contracts' in the draft Iraqi hydrocarbons legislation.

Geoff Hoon: There is no mention of the term "production- sharing agreements" in Iraq's draft hydrocarbons legislation. The term 'exploration and production contract' does appear in the draft hydrocarbons legislation. However, interpretation of Iraqi legislation is a matter for the Government of Iraq.

Kazakhstan: Human Rights

Greg Hands: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent assessment she has made of the restrictions on political liberty in Kazakhstan imposed by the Kazakh Government through the suspension of the registration of the Kazakh Conservative Party, the intimidation restrictions to freedom of speech and denial of fair access to political competition of party leaders and members; and if she will make a statement.

Geoff Hoon: We welcome the steps made by the Government of Kazakhstan since the December 2005 presidential election towards political reform and democratisation. These include in April 2006 the removal from the Election Law of the prohibition on the right of freedom of assembly in the period between the end of voting and publication of official results in elections. In February 2007, President Nazarbayev also created a working group to implement the key recommendations of the State Commission on Democratisation including the strengthening of Parliament's powers and increasing the authority of local town councils.
	Political pluralism has been affected negatively by recent legislation which restricts freedom of expression, association and assembly. The powers of the Parliament and Government and the independence of the judiciary could be further enhanced to introduce checks and balances into the system of administration.
	We welcome the registration on 26 January of one of the main opposition parties, the Social Democratic Party. There is no party officially registered, or seeking to register, as the Kazakh Conservative Party. Two centre-right parties, Alga! (Forward) and Atameken (Fatherland), have outstanding registration applications which have not yet been approved. In conjunction with EU partners and other interested parties, we will continue to encourage democratic progress in Kazakhstan and provide suitable assistance where possible.

Nigeria: Politics and Government

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations she has made to the Government of Nigeria on the recent murder of a school teacher in Gombe City; and if she will make a statement.

Ian McCartney: We have not made representations to the Nigerian Government about the tragic killing of the teacher in Gombe. However, our high commission in Abuja has asked a leading Nigerian inter-faith group to make inquiries about the incident and brief them on their findings. It is important that the incident is also properly investigated by the appropriate Nigerian authorities. Through the high commission in Abuja we are sponsoring work by civil society organisations to promote inter-faith dialogue and prevent incidents of this kind.

Nigeria: Religious Freedom

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent assessment she has made of religious freedom in Northern Nigeria; and what steps she has taken to work with the Nigerian Government on minimising the likelihood of religious freedom abuses in the future.

Ian McCartney: There are tensions and frequent clashes between Christians and Muslims in northern Nigeria, and regular reports of discrimination, mainly against Christians. Religion is the pretext for most clashes, but many Nigerian religious leaders acknowledge that the root causes often lie in struggles for political power, scarce resources and ethnic dominance at local level.
	Through our high commission in Abuja we are actively supporting projects to address religious tensions in northern Nigeria, as part of our efforts to prevent conflict and promote human rights in Nigeria as a whole. This includes the funding of training for police and magistrates in the humane application of Sharia law, and the work of non-governmental organisations to establish local early warning and conflict prevention mechanisms. Federal authorities and Government agencies, such as the Nigerian Police Force, are involved in these activities where appropriate, as are state Governments and senior religious leaders.

Occupied Territories: Property Transfer

Richard Burden: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what the UK position is on the legality of  (a) marketing in the UK and  (b) purchasing from the UK property for sale in settlements in the Occupied Palestinian Territories which are deemed illegal according to international law; and what advice the Government give to British companies and organisations on the legal status of such transactions.

Geoff Hoon: We regard all settlements in the Occupied Palestinian Territories as illegal under international law and have repeatedly raised our concerns about settlement activity with the Israeli Government. The Government do not advise or encourage companies and organisations to market or sell property in the settlements, however it is not unlawful to do so under UK law.

Occupied Territories: Property Transfer

Phyllis Starkey: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs 
	(1)  what the UK position is on the purchasing in the UK of property in settlements in the Occupied Palestinian Territories which are deemed illegal according to international law; and if she will make a statement;
	(2)  if she will make a statement on the UK position on the legality of marketing in the UK property in settlements in the Occupied Palestinian Territories which are deemed illegal according to international law.

Geoff Hoon: I refer my hon. Friend to the answer I gave to my hon. Friend the Member for Birmingham, Northfield (Richard Burden) today (UIN 130813).

Philippines: Human Rights

Keith Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations her Department has  (a) made to the Government of the Philippines and  (b) received on extra-judicial killings of political activists; what discussions she has had with counterparts in the EU on human rights abuses in the Philippines; and if she will make a statement.

Ian McCartney: We continue to be concerned about extra-judicial killings in the Philippines. We have urged the Philippine Government to address the problem, including through the appropriate involvement of the international community. In this regard, we welcomed the visit by Philip Alston, the UN special rapporteur on extra-judicial killings, to the Philippines in February and will encourage the Philippine Government to follow Professor Alston's recommendations. In August 2006, President Arroyo appointed a special commission to investigate the killings. The Melo Commission, headed by ex-Supreme Court Justice Jose Melo, concluded its investigations and produced a report of its findings in February. President Arroyo recently extended the tenure of the Melo Commission until June 2007, after which the Philippine Commission on Human Rights will investigate the issue further. President Arroyo has made a request to the EU to provide technical assistance for the investigation of extra-judicial killings. We will look at this positively. The Foreign and Commonwealth Office has received letters from members of the public and hon. Members, as well as some parliamentary questions, about extra-judicial killings. On 21 March, the UK raised the issue at a European Council working group meeting for Oceania and Asia affairs.

Queen Elizabeth II: Anniversaries

Graham Brady: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs which UK diplomatic missions  (a) hosted and  (b) did not host parties to celebrate HM The Queen's birthday in 2006.

Geoff Hoon: The information the hon. Member has requested can be found in the following table:
	 Queen's Birthday Parties (QBP)
	
		
			  Countries with resident ambassadors where an official Queen's birthday party did not take place in 2006 
			  Region  Country  Post  QBP 
			 Asia Pacific Mongolia Ulaanbaatar No 
			 Africa Algeria Algiers No 
		
	
	
		
			  Countries where celebrations took place in 2006 
			  Region  Country  Post  QBP 
			 North America USA Washington Yes 
			  USA Los Angeles Yes 
			  USA Chicago Yes 
			 Caribbean Dominica Bridgetown Yes 
			  Trinidad and Tobago Port of Spain Yes 
			 South America Argentina Buenos Aires Yes 
			  Bolivia La Paz Yes 
			  Brazil Brasilia Yes 
			  Brazil Rio de Janeiro Yes 
			  Brazil São Paulo Yes 
			  Chile Santiago Yes 
			  Colombia Bogotá Yes 
			  Costa Rica San Jose Yes 
			  Cuba Havana Yes 
			  Ecuador Quito Yes 
			  Guatemala Guatemala City Yes 
			  Guyana Georgetown Yes 
			  Mexico Mexico City Yes 
			  Panama Panama City Yes 
			  Peru Lima Yes 
			  Uruguay Montevideo Yes 
			  Venezuela Caracas Yes 
			 Europe, Russia and South Caucasus Albania Tirana Yes 
			  Armenia Yerevan Yes 
			  Austria Vienna Yes 
			  Belarus Minsk Yes 
			  Belgium Brussels Yes 
			  Belgium UK Delegation to NATO Yes 
			  Bosnia and Herzegovina Sarajevo Yes 
			  Bulgaria Sofia Yes 
			  Croatia Zagreb Yes 
			  Cyprus Nicosia Yes 
			  Czech Republic Prague Yes 
			  Denmark Copenhagen Yes 
			  Estonia Tallinn Yes 
			  Finland Helsinki Yes 
			  France Paris Embassy with the UK Delegation to the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development Yes 
			  France Lyon Yes 
			  France Lille Yes 
			  France UK Delegation in Strasbourg Yes 
			  Georgia Tbilisi Yes 
			  Germany Berlin Yes 
			  Germany Dusseldorf Yes 
			  Germany Hamburg Yes 
			  Germany Munich Yes 
			  Luxembourg Luxembourg Yes 
			  Greece Athens Yes 
			  Hungary Budapest Yes 
			  Iceland Reykjavik Yes 
			  Ireland Dublin Yes 
			  Italy Rome Yes 
			  Italy Holy See Yes 
			  Italy Naples Yes 
			  Italy Venice Yes 
			  Italy Genoa Yes 
			  Italy Trieste Yes 
			  Italy Milan Yes 
			  Italy Bari Yes 
			  Italy Catania Yes 
			  Italy Palermo Yes 
			  Kazakhstan Almaty Yes 
			  Kazakhstan Kyrgyzstan Yes 
			  Kazakhstan Bishkek Yes 
			  Latvia Riga Yes 
			  Lithuania Vilnius Yes 
			  Macedonia Skopje Yes 
			  Malta Valletta Yes 
			  Moldova Chisinau Yes 
			  Netherlands Amsterdam Yes 
			  Netherlands The Hague Yes 
			  Norway Oslo Yes 
			  Poland Warsaw Yes 
			  Portugal Lisbon Yes 
			  Romania Bucharest Yes 
			  Russia St. Petersburg Yes 
			  Russia Moscow Yes 
			  Russia Ekaterinburg Yes 
			  Serbia and Montenegro Belgrade Yes 
			  Slovakia Bratislava Yes 
			  Slovenia Ljubljana Yes 
			  Spain Madrid Yes 
			  Sweden Stockholm Yes 
			  Switzerland Berne Yes 
			  Turkey Ankara Yes 
			  Turkey Istanbul Yes 
			  Ukraine Kiev Yes 
			 Africa Angola Luanda Yes 
			  Botswana Gabarone Yes 
			  Burundi Bujumbura Yes 
			  Cameroon Yaounde Yes 
			  Congo (Democratic Republic) Kinshasa Yes 
			  Egypt Cairo Yes 
			  Ethiopia Addis Ababa Yes 
			  The Gambia Banjul Yes 
			  Ghana Accra Yes 
			  Kenya Nairobi Yes 
			  Libya Tripoli Yes 
			  Malawi Lilongwe Yes 
			  Mauritius Port Louis Yes 
			  Morocco Rabat Yes 
			  Morocco Casablanca Yes 
			  Mozambique Maputo Yes 
			  Namibia Windhoek Yes 
			  Nigeria Lagos Yes 
			  Nigeria Abuja Yes 
			  Rwanda Kigali Yes 
			  Senegal Dakar Yes 
			  Seychelles Victoria Yes 
			  Sierra Leone Freetown Yes 
			  South Africa Pretoria Yes 
			  Sudan Khartoum Yes 
			  Swaziland Mbabane Yes 
			  Tanzania Dar es Saalam Yes 
			  Tunisia Tunis Yes 
			  Uganda Kampala Yes 
			  Zambia Lusaka Yes 
			  Zimbabwe Harare Yes 
			 South and Central Asia Afghanistan Kabul Yes 
			  Azerbaijan Baku Yes 
			  Bangladesh Dhaka Yes 
			  India New Delhi Yes 
			  India Mumbai Yes 
			  Nepal Kathmandu Yes 
			  Pakistan Islamabad Yes 
			  Pakistan Peshawar Yes 
			  Pakistan Karachi Yes 
			  Pakistan Quetta Yes 
			  Sri Lanka Colombo Yes 
			  Turkmenistan Ashgabat Yes 
			  Uzbekistan Tashkent Yes 
			 Middle East Bahrain Bahrain Yes 
			  Iraq Baghdad Yes 
			  Iraq Basra Yes 
			  Iraq Kirkuk Yes 
			  Iran Tehran Yes 
			  Israel Tel Aviv Yes 
			  Jerusalem Jerusalem Yes 
			  Jordan Amman Yes 
			  Kuwait Kuwait Yes 
			  Lebanon Beirut Yes 
			  Oman Muscat Yes 
			  Qatar Doha Yes 
			  Saudi Arabia Riyadh Yes 
			  Saudi Arabia Jeddah Yes 
			  Saudi Arabia Al Khobar Yes 
			  Syria Damascus Yes 
			  Syria Aleppo Yes 
			  United Arab Emirates Abu Dhabi Yes 
			  United Arab Emirates Dubai Yes 
			  Yemen Sana'a Yes 
			 Asia Pacific Brunei Bandar Seri Begawan Yes 
			  Burma Rangoon Yes 
			  Cambodia Phnom Penh Yes 
			  China Beijing Yes 
			  China Guangzhou Yes 
			  China Hong Kong Yes 
			  China Macau Yes 
			  Fiji Suva Yes 
			  Indonesia Jakarta Yes 
			  Japan Tokyo Yes 
			  Korea (North) Pyongyang Yes 
			  Korea (South) Seoul Yes 
			  Malaysia Kuala Lumpur Yes 
			  Philippines Manila Yes 
			  Singapore Singapore Yes 
			  Thailand Bangkok Yes 
		
	
	Official celebrations in Her Majesty The Queen's realms and in the UK's Overseas Territories come under the auspices of the respective governor-general/governor of those countries and territories.
	It was agreed (in 2003) with Buckingham Palace that QBPs need not take place every year. The frequency is at the discretion of the Head of Post, but a full reception should be held at least once during their tenure. In other years, smaller events such as a lunch may be held, according to local custom, though the birthday should be marked in some fashion.

Russia: Latvia

Daniel Kawczynski: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what reports she has received on the recent Russia-Latvia treaty signed to formalise their mutual border.

Geoff Hoon: We welcomed the news that Latvia and Russia signed a border treaty on 27 March. We fully aligned ourselves with the EU presidency declaration of 28 March, in which the EU welcomed its signature and looked forward to the swift ratification of the treaty.

Somalia

Michael Moore: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs pursuant to the Answer of 7 March 2007,  Official Report, column 2017W, on Somalia, what discussions she has had with her  (a) Ethiopian and  (b) other African Union counterparts on the recent violence in Somalia; whether she has changed her assessment of the status of the Union of Islamic Courts following these discussions; and if she will make a statement.

Geoff Hoon: We are in close contact with both the African Union (AU) and the Ethiopian Government about the recent fighting in Somalia, which we utterly condemn. The Government calls on all parties in Somalia to reject violence and commit to peaceful dialogue. We are working with the AU and other members of the international community to try to facilitate the swift and effective deployment of the AU stabilisation mission to Somalia in order to create the conditions for Ethiopia to withdraw, whilst avoiding a security vacuum.
	The Union of Islamic Courts (UIC) ceased to exist as an organisation after its collapse in December 2006. The Government have therefore not changed their assessment of the UIC, as given in my answer to the hon. Member on 7 March 2007,  Official Report, column 2017W.

Somalia: Armed Conflict

Michael Moore: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what reports she has received on the recent violence in Somalia; what assessment she has made of the likely impact of the violence on the further deployment of the African Union Mission in Somalia; and if she will make a statement.

Margaret Beckett: The recent violence in Mogadishu represents a very real threat to the prospects for stability in Somalia. We condemn the attacks against African Union (AU) and other forces and call on those responsible to desist, and to work alongside the transitional federal institutions and the AU in helping to restore governance to Somalia. We continue to believe that an AU stabilisation force is the most effective way of assisting Somalia to secure the stability and peace its people so badly want.

Somalia: Ethiopia

Michael Moore: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment she has made of the humanitarian impact of the Ethiopian invasion of Somalia; what discussions she has had with her  (a) United States and  (b) Kenyan counterparts on the treatment of Somalian refugees; and if she will make a statement.

Geoff Hoon: We are very concerned about humanitarian conditions throughout Somalia. Although food security appears to have improved compared to 2006, the current high risk of conflict may generate widespread additional humanitarian needs. According to the UN High Commissioner for Refugees, up to 100,000 more people may have been displaced since early February.
	According to UN agencies, humanitarian conditions in the refugee camps are difficult, with ongoing high levels of child malnutrition. The Kenyan authorities have gone to great lengths in offering shelter to the 174,000 Somalis currently believed to be in camps, and they have legitimate security concerns about the influx of large numbers of Somalis. However, we remain concerned that, since the beginning of the year, they have denied entry to the camps to some Somalis genuinely seeking to flee from conflict. Our high commissioner in Nairobi raised the issue of the border closure with the Kenyan Minister of Foreign Affairs in early January. And the UK has supported a similar approach by the EU presidency. The UK participated in a US-hosted senior level donor round table in late January about the humanitarian impact of the closure of the border with Somalia and we have ongoing discussions with the USAID Office for Disaster Assistance and the USAID Office of Food for Peace about remedial action.
	The UK was the second largest bilateral humanitarian donor to Somalia in 2006 and committed £16 million towards emergency relief activities through the UN and non-governmental organisation partners.

Somalia: Official Visits

Michael Moore: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs pursuant to the Answer of 7 March 2007,  Official Report, column 2017W, on Somalia: official visits, when she expects Ethiopian troops to complete their withdrawal from Somalia; and if she will make a statement.

Geoff Hoon: We understand Ethiopia has been gradually withdrawing its forces over the past weeks.
	At the same time, we recognise that until an effective and appropriate alternative is in place a complete Ethiopian withdrawal could risk a dangerous security vacuum. For this reason, we strongly support the deployment of the Africa Union stabilisation force (AMISOM). The UK-sponsored UN Security Council Resolution 1744, unanimously adopted, explicitly authorises (the establishment of AMISOM and we have offered logistical, planning and financial support to the force to help it deploy as soon as possible. On UK contributions to AMISOM, I refer the hon. Member to the reply given to him by my right hon. Friend the Minister for Europe (Mr. Hoon), today (UIN 130261).

Somalia: Official Visits

Michael Moore: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs pursuant to the Answer of 7 March 2007,  Official Report, column 2017W, on Somalia: official visits, what recent discussions she has had with her  (a) United States and  (b) EU counterparts on the African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM); what commitments have been made to support AMISOM as a result of these discussions; and if she will make a statement.

Margaret Beckett: My noble Friend the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, Lord Triesman of Tottenham, and officials at the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, have been in frequent contact with US and EU colleagues, both bilaterally and in international fora, including the UN and the International Contact Group for Somalia, regarding the African Union's (AU) stabilisation mission to Somalia (AMISOM). I have also discussed it with my EU colleagues at recent EU Foreign Ministers' meetings. We urge a prompt, focused and co-ordinated international response to help Somalis seize this historic opportunity for stability, which is what Somalia needs above all.
	AMISOM is a key element in bringing stability to Somalia. For this reason, the UK sponsored United Nations Security Council Resolution 1744, adopted unanimously on 20 February. The Resolution explicitly authorises the deployment of AMISOM, as well as recognising the need for a reconciliation and a political process in Somalia, and permitting support to the Transitional Federal Government and Institutions to develop their own security sector. We commend the AU for taking on this mission and are grateful to those countries that have so far offered to contribute personnel to AMISOM.
	On UK contributions to AMISOM, I refer the hon. Member to the reply given to him by my right hon. Friend the Minister for Europe, today (UIN 130261).

Somalia: Official Visits

Michael Moore: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs pursuant to the Answer of 7 March 2007,  Official Report, column 2017W, on Somalia: official visits, which African Union countries have pledged troop contributions to the African Union Mission in Somalia; how many troops they have pledged; when she expects those contributing to deploy those troops; and if she will make a statement.

Margaret Beckett: Uganda has pledged nearly 1,700 troops to Somalia as part of the African Union (AU) stabilisation force (AMISOM), most of which we believe have now deployed. We understand that Ghana, Burundi, Nigeria and Malawi have also pledged troops to AMISOM, which would bring the total numbers to around 4,000, although the timeframe for these deployments remains unclear.
	The UK has made clear its strong support for AMISOM and believes that a prompt and effective AMISOM deployment is vital for bringing long-term stability to Somalia. For this reason, we are discussing with several potential troop contributing countries what support we might best provide them. We have also offered direct support to the AU. On UK contributions to AMISOM, I refer the hon. Member to the reply given to him by my right hon. Friend the Minister for Europe today (UIN 130261).

Somalia: Official Visits

Michael Moore: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs pursuant to her Answer of 7 March 2007, Of ficial Report, column 2017W, on Somalia: official visits, what financial and logistical support the British Government are contributing to the African Union Mission in Somalia; and if she will make a statement.

Geoff Hoon: The Government believe it is vital that a successful African Union (AU) Mission in Somalia (AMISOM) deployment ensures lasting stability in Somalia. The UK has offered planning, and logistical support for a Somalia planning cell within the AU's Peace and Security Operations Division in Addis Ababa. The UK has also offered planning, logistical and financial assistances direct to troop contributing countries.
	We strongly support the early disbursement of the EU's pledge of €15 million to AMISOM.

Somalia: Terrorism

Michael Moore: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment she has made of the extent of the presence of al-Qaeda in Somalia; and if she will make a statement.

Geoff Hoon: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given by my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister to my hon. Friend the Member for Islington, North (Jeremy Corbyn) on 10 January 2007,  Official Report, columns 281-82.
	Al-Qaeda seeks to exploit ungoverned space to advance its terrorist agenda. Therefore, we are working with the international community to re-build the Somali State, through the establishment of Transitional Federal Institutions, in order to bring peace and stability to the country. This will make it more difficult for al-Qaeda to operate in Somalia.
	In the meantime, we continue to work with the Transitional Federal Government of Somalia, and our international allies, in tackling the threat posed by al-Qaeda from Somalia.

Sri Lanka: Human Rights

Gary Streeter: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what steps the Government are taking to raise with the Government of Sri Lanka the disappearance of Pastor Victor Yogarajan and three others in Negombo on 2 March.

Kim Howells: We have made no specific representations to the Sri Lankan Government about the case of the disappearance of Pastor Victor Yogarajan and others in Negombo on 2 March. My right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary spoke with her counterpart the Sri Lankan Foreign Minister in March about the situation faced by the civilian population as a result of the escalated conflict and raised our concerns about human rights.

Sri Lanka: Politics and Government

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent assessment she has made of the political situation in Sri Lanka.

Kim Howells: holding answer 29 March 2007
	I refer my hon. Friend to the answers that I and my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister gave my right hon. Friend the Member for Leicester, East (Keith Vaz) on 20 March 2007,  Official Report, columns 828-29W and 14 March 2007,  Official Report, column 283 respectively. I restate that the UK urges both sides to the conflict to pursue a peaceful solution and to do more to protect the civilian population.

Sudan: Peace Negotiations

William Hague: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent progress has been made in the implementation of the Darfur Peace Agreement.

Margaret Beckett: Lack of buy-in from a broad range of rebel groups means that there has only been limited progress with the implementation of the Darfur Peace Agreement (DPA), particularly on the wealth sharing and security provisions. But a few of the power-sharing provisions of the DPA have been implemented. Minni Minawi was appointed Special Assistant to the President, and nominations have been made to some positions on the Transitional Darfuri Regional Authority and other bodies, but this remains insufficient.
	We have been funding work to help the African Union (AU) explain the benefits of the DPA to the people of Darfur. And we are funding an expert to support the AU in preparing the Darfur-Darfur Dialogue and Consultation.
	A renewed political process, which brings in as broad a range of the Darfur population as possible, is needed.
	At the UN high level meeting in Addis Ababa last November, the AU and UN committed to convening a meeting between the signatories (Government of Sudan and Minni Minawi's group) and non-signatories to the DPA. The UN and AU envoys for the political process (Jan Eliasson and Salim Ahmed Salim) visited Sudan together from 23 to 28 March.
	We are very concerned at the slow pace of progress on the political track and are in touch with the UN and AU at all levels to urge faster movement.

Syrian Arab Republic: Kamal al-Labwani

Michael Moore: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs pursuant to the Answer of 27 February 2007,  Official Report, column 1202W, on the Syrian Arab Republic: Kamal al-Labwani, what steps UK officials in Damascus are taking to monitor the ongoing detention of Dr Kamal al-Labwani.

Geoff Hoon: UK officials, together with their EU colleagues, attend the court cases of Dr. Kamal al-Labwani wherever possible. They are also in regular contact with Dr. al-Labwani's lawyers and members of his family. Officials from our embassy in Damascus and EU colleagues attended Dr. al-Labwani's latest court appearance on 10 April, at which the judge postponed the trial to 10 May. Dr. al-Labwani was allowed to greet family, friends and diplomats. With EU partners We continue to make our concerns known to the Syrian authorities.

Syrian Arab Republic: Kamal al-Labwani

Michael Moore: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs pursuant to the answer of 27 February 2007,  Official Report, column 1202W, on the Syrian Arab Republic: Kamal al-Labwani, what her most recent assessment is of the conditions in which Dr. Kamal al-Labwani is being held; and if she will make a statement.

Geoff Hoon: Since his last court appearance, Dr. Kamal al-Labwani has been held in solitary confinement at Adra criminal prison. He was released from solitary confinement a few days before his court appearance on 10 April. At this appearance the judge postponed the trial to 10 May. Dr. al-Labwani was also allowed to greet family, friends and diplomats. Officials from our embassy in Damascus and EU colleagues attended the trial on 10 April and will continue to follow the progress of the case closely. With EU partners we continue to make our concerns known to the Syrian authorities about human rights in Syria.

Turkey: EC Enlargement

Daniel Kawczynski: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what discussions she has had with her Turkish counterpart on the steps Turkey is taking to comply with EU rules to allow it to progress with membership of the EU.

Geoff Hoon: My right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary visited Turkey on 26-27 March and had a productive meeting with Foreign Minister Gul, which included discussion of Turkey's EU accession process. The UK continues to encourage Turkey to take the steps necessary to meet the requirements of the acquis. Progress is being made with the EU and Turkey agreeing on 29 March formally to open negotiations on enterprise and industrial policy.

USA: Prince Charles

Andrew MacKinlay: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what costs of visits to the US by the Prince of Wales were met from the public purse over the last 12 months, broken down by  (a) visit,  (b) travel,  (c) accommodation,  (d) visit participant,  (e) gifts and  (f) other expenses; what the purpose of each such visit was; where the proposal for each such visit originated; what (i) proportion of and (ii) events within each such visit were organised by, or on behalf of, the Prince's charities or foundations; and if she will make a statement.

Margaret Beckett: The visit to the United States by his Royal Highness (HRH) the Prince of Wales and Her Royal Highness the Duchess of Cornwall from 26-29 January is the only visit over the last 12 months where costs were met from public funds. I shall write to my hon. Friend as soon as the accounts for the visit have been finalised, and will place a copy of the letter in the Library of the House.
	The purpose of the visit was to reinforce our relationship with the United States, with a particular focus on youth development, urban regeneration and the environment in support of the Government's best practice agenda. The visit was approved by the Royal Visits Committee as part of our continuing engagement with the United States at the highest level. There were no publicly-funded events organised on behalf of HRH the Prince of Wales' charities or foundations.

Zimbabwe

William Hague: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations she plans to make to her European Union counterparts on the extension of existing EU sanctions against Zimbabwe; and if she will make a statement.

Margaret Beckett: We have proposed to EU partners that the key perpetrators of the violence on 11 March should be added to the list of those subject to a visa ban and assets freeze.

Zimbabwe

William Hague: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs when she last discussed Zimbabwe with her South African counterpart; and what the outcome was of the discussion.

Margaret Beckett: I refer the right hon. Member to the reply my right hon. Friend the Minister for Trade gave to the hon. Member for Peterborough (Mr. Jackson) on 19 March 2007,  Official Report, column 600W.

Zimbabwe

William Hague: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how much has been frozen under measures applied in accordance with the EU Common Position on Zimbabwe.

Margaret Beckett: In the United Kingdom, 42 accounts containing a total of £172,000 are currently frozen under the terms of the EU Common Position.

Zimbabwe: Politics and Government

Geoffrey Clifton-Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if she will make representations encouraging the Government of Zimbabwe to provide medical assistance to pro-democracy activists detained following a prayer meeting in Highfield, Harare in March 2007.

Geoff Hoon: My right hon. Friend, the Foreign Secretary called for all those who were arrested and beaten following the prayer meeting at Highfield to be given immediate access to proper medical attention. My noble Friend, the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, Lord Triesman of Tottenham, made similar representations directly to the Zimbabwe Ambassador on 13 March. Those arrested on 11 March were eventually released and received medical attention in private hospitals.

TRANSPORT

A1307: Accidents

James Paice: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport 
	(1)  what the  (a) total number of accidents,  (b) average daily traffic flow and  (c) accident rate per million vehicle kilometres was for the stretch A1307 between the junctions with the A143 in Haverhill and the A11 in Abington in each of the last 10 years; and what the latest figures are for 2007;
	(2)  how many people were  (a) killed and  (b) injured on the stretch of the A1307 between the junctions with the A143 in Haverhill and the A11 in Abington in each of the last 10 years; and what the latest figures are for 2007.

Stephen Ladyman: The number of reported personal injury road accidents, the number of resulting casualties, the annual average daily traffic flow and the accident rate per million vehicle kilometres, for the road requested are given in the table for each year from 1996 to 2005. 2005 is the most recent year for which data are available. Data for 2007 will be available in summer 2008.
	
		
			  Number of accidents, annual average daily traffic flow, accident rate per million vehicle kilometres and number of casualties on the A1307 between the junction of A143 in Haverhill and the A11 at Little Abington in Cambridge, 1996-2005 
			   Number of accidents( 1)  AADF( 2)  Accident rate( 3)  Killed  Injured 
			 1996 18 12,800 0.27 1 24 
			 1997 25 14,800 0.32 0 43 
			 1998 29 15,200 0.37 2 50 
			 1999 32 15,600 0.39 4 54 
			 2000 26 16,300 0.30 1 38 
			 2001 30 16,200 0.35 1 43 
			 2002 22 16,600 0.25 3 32 
			 2003 27 16,800 0.31 3 35 
			 2004 30 17,200 0.33 1 46 
			 2005 41 16,700 0.47 1 64 
			 (1) Personal injury road accidents reported to the police. (2) Annual average daily traffic flow. (3) Accident rate per million vehicle kilometres.

A6 and A45 Interchange

Peter Bone: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will visit Higham Ferriers to discuss proposed improvements to the Chown Mills A6/A45 interchange with the hon. Member for Wellingborough and constituents.

Stephen Ladyman: There are no immediate plans by the Secretary of State to visit Higham Ferrers. The A45 is categorised as a regional route. The East Midlands region advised in January 2006 that, within their indicative regional funding allocation, a potential grade-separation scheme was not a priority for funding in the period up to 2015/16. It will be for the region to review the priority for such a scheme in future rounds of the regional funding process.
	In the meantime, the Highways Agency will undertake a junction capacity review of Chowns Mill junction in 2007/2008. This review will investigate what interim measures can be introduced, short of a grade separation, to alleviate the current operational problems at the Chowns Mill Interchange.

Biofuels: North West Region

Lindsay Hoyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what steps his Department has taken to promote alternative fuels in the north-west in the last five years.

Stephen Ladyman: The Government encourage the use of alternative fuels through reduced rates of Vehicle Excise Duty for cars run on certain alternative fuels and registered after 1 March 2001, and through differentials in fuel duty between petrol and diesel and other fuels. There are no specific initiatives for the north-west.
	The Government also provide funds to the Energy Saving Trust to run an Infrastructure grant programme. The grants assist the building of refuelling stations for alternative fuels (natural gas/biogas, hydrogen and bio-ethanol).
	The Government are also due to introduce a Renewable Transport Fuel Obligation in April 2008 which will ensure a significant and stable market for biofuels in the UK, and is likely to mean that biofuels are available in low blends at the majority of forecourts in the UK.

British Railways Board (Residuary)

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many people are employed by the British Railways Board (Residuary); what that body's budget was in 2006-07; and what the functions of the residuary body are.

Tom Harris: BRB (Residuary) Ltd. (BRBR) currently employs 36 full-time equivalent members of staff. The company is forecast to incur net costs of £35.7 million in 2006-07 and generate gross sales proceeds of £71.5 million. These figures are subject to audit.
	BRBR was created as a consequence of the privatisation of the railways and discharges a range of legacy responsibilities inherited from the British Railways Board. These responsibilities include the management of industrial injury claims submitted by ex-British Rail employees and the management and disposal of a diverse property portfolio.

Bus Services: Concessions

Iain Wright: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many pensioners in Hartlepool constituency  (a) are eligible for and  (b) have used the free local bus travel scheme.

Gillian Merron: (a) The number of residents of Hartlepool aged 60 and over, who, from 1 April 2006, are entitled to free off-peak local bus travel is around 19,200.
	 (b) Information on take-up of the concession in Hartlepool is not held centrally. Local authorities hold details of their residents who applied for concessionary travel.

Bypasses: Kettering

Philip Hollobone: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what joint assessment the Highways Agency has made with the local highways authority of the case for a new eastern bypass around Kettering.

Stephen Ladyman: The Highways Agency has not carried out any joint assessment with Northamptonshire county council of the case for a new eastern bypass around Kettering.
	Such a bypass would not be a trunk road proposal as it would cater mainly for local traffic. However, North Northamptonshire Development Company and Northamptonshire county council are considering the need for a new distributor road to the east of Kettering as part of the proposed urban extension. This road is referred to in the draft North Northamptonshire core spatial strategy. Such a scheme would only be promoted by developers and/or the county council.

Driving Offences: Insurance

John Battle: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what estimate he has made of the number of motor vehicle accidents in England involving drivers without adequate insurance.

Stephen Ladyman: The latest figures available on uninsured accidents reported in the UK to the Motor Insurers' Bureau are as follows:
	
		
			   2004  2005 
			 Uninsured drivers 28,518 24,367 
			 Untraced drivers 13,072 13,221 
		
	
	No separate breakdown is available for England alone.

Driving Offences: Insurance

John Battle: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what recent estimate he has made of the number of regular drivers without adequate insurance in England.

Stephen Ladyman: I refer my right hon. Friend to the answer I gave to my Friend the hon. Member for Cannock Chase (Dr. Wright) on Thursday 8 February 2007,  Official Report, column 1063W. Separate figures for England are not available.

Exhaust Emissions

Martin Horwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what progress he has made on the emissions cost assessment initiative announced in December 2006.

Gillian Merron: As we announced in the future of air transport progress report last December, we intend to launch a consultation on the development of an emissions cost assessment for the aviation sector in the first half of 2007.

First Great Western: Rolling Stock

Steve Webb: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many of the additional 1,000 train carriages that he proposes to introduce he expects to be used on the First Great Western network.

Tom Harris: It is too early to say where precisely the additional rolling stock will be used. The deployment of new rolling stock will be agreed with the industry following the publication of the High Level Output Specification and the long-term rail strategy this summer, in accordance with the Periodic Review timetable set out in the Office of Rail Regulation's advice to Minister published in February 2007.

HGV Drivers

Iain Wright: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport pursuant to the answer of 26 March 2007,  Official Report, column 1245W, on HGV drivers, what steps he is taking to ensure that foreign-licensed HGV (or its equivalent) drivers with medical conditions which would make them ineligible for HGV licences in the UK, but not in other countries, are unable to drive in the UK.

Stephen Ladyman: EU licence holders who live in the UK have a legal obligation to notify DVLA of certain existing and worsening medical conditions. Failure to do so is a road traffic offence, carrying a penalty of £1,000. This information is available through a number of channels, including guidance leaflets.
	Holders of EC/EEA licences are required to register with the DVLA vocational (LGV/PCV) entitlement to drive, within 12 months of becoming resident here. The registration process aims to ensure that these drivers meet the UK health and conduct standards.
	New residents from non-EC/EEA countries may not drive vehicles over 3.5 tonnes until they have passed the relevant British driving test.
	Enforcement of road traffic law is a matter for individual chief officers of police.

HM Coastguard: Privatisation

John McDonnell: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport 
	(1)  what consultation his Department has held with  (a) the Fire and Rescue Service and  (b) the Fire Brigades Union on the part-privatisation of HM Coastguard;
	(2)  when preferred bidders will be announced for the part-privatisation of HM Coastguard; and if he will place in the Library a copy of the specification;
	(3)  what the estimated cost savings are of the part-privatisation of HM Coastguard; and how those savings are to be made.

Stephen Ladyman: There are no plans to privatise HM Coastguard.
	The Department and the Ministry of Defence have started the procurement process under the private finance initiative for the harmonised provision of search and rescue helicopter services from 2012. This decision provides an opportunity to bring together the current search and rescue helicopter providers into one service under a single contract providing the taxpayer with value for money. The service will continue to be managed jointly by the Ministry of Defence and the Maritime and Coastguard Agency.

Invalid Vehicles

Mark Oaten: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what plans he has to require users of electric wheelchairs and scooters to  (a) undertake training before using the equipment and  (b) take out insurance cover.

Gillian Merron: The Department has published research, a copy of which has been placed in the house Library, into the training and insurance aspects of electric wheelchair and scooter use. The research examines whether existing arrangements balance the needs of mobility vehicle users with the safety of other road and pavement users. The research findings are currently under consideration and will be acted upon shortly.

Members: Correspondence

John Baron: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport when he expects to reply to the letter of 21 February 2007 from the hon. Member for Billericay, on the concessionary fare scheme.

Gillian Merron: A reply was sent to the hon. Member on 29 March 2007.

Motor Vehicles: Registration

Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what research his Department has undertaken into the enforcement of civil traffic penalties against foreign registered vehicles in the UK.

Stephen Ladyman: The Department has not commissioned research into this subject. The Department is a member of the Shared Parking and Registered Keeper Information Service in which traffic authorities in the UK and other EU member states co-operate to enforce cross-border traffic violations. That service has conducted research into levels of civil traffic violations with particular reference to foreign-registered vehicles.

Motorcycles: Licensing

Bill Wiggin: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what his estimate is of the cost of implementing the final provisions of the second European driving licence directive for motorcycles; and how much of the estimated cost is to be spent on super test sites.

Stephen Ladyman: The total estimated cost of implementing the second European driving licence directive for motorcycles is £60,537,000.
	Of this amount, £60,000,000 is for the acquisition, design construction and development of multi-purpose test centres (MPTCs). The remainder of £537,000 has been allocated for equipment, training and site set-up costs.
	These MPTCs will satisfy the requirements of the second European driving licence directive for motorcycles, but will also cater for other types of test, including practical motor-car tests.

Pedestrian Crossings

Alistair Carmichael: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what the expected spending in future years is on the non-motorised user crossings programme.

Stephen Ladyman: It is not possible to predict future spending on the non-motorised user crossing programme as most of the schemes are delivered as part of larger improvements. Investigations are scheduled over a number of years and not all will result in schemes being taken forward. In addition, all new highways schemes receive a non-motorised user audit and this may result in further schemes that are not currently identified in the programme. Highways Agency expenditure for the three years from 2008-09 will be determined in the spending review to be concluded later in the year.

Public Transport: Greater London

Harry Cohen: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport pursuant to the answer of 27 March 2007,  Official Report, column 1382W, on public transport: Greater London, whether any legislative change is required for the development of London Works.

Gillian Merron: There are no legislative changes required for the development of London Works. It will support the management of both the existing regulatory regime for works carried out by undertakers under the New Roads and Street Works Act 1991 (NRSWA), and the new regulations that reflect changes to NRSWA by the Traffic Management Act 2004.

Railways: Franchises

Anne McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what the timetable is for decisions on rail franchises under consideration; and if he will make a statement.

Tom Harris: The Secretary of State will announce the award of the Intercity East Coast Franchise, the East Midlands Franchise, the West Midlands Franchise and the Cross Country Franchise in summer 2007.

Railways: Litter

Peter Atkinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will take steps to improve the collection of rubbish off the trackside of the rail network.

Tom Harris: Responsibility for the clearance of rubbish from the trackside is an operational matter for Network Rail, as the owner and operator of the national rail network. Network Rail has its own operational arrangements and policies relating to clearance, consistent with current legislation.
	The hon. Member should contact Network Rail's Chief Executive at the following address for a response to his question:
	John Armitt
	Chief Executive
	Network Rail
	40 Melton Street
	London NW1 2EE.

Railways: Portsmouth

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport pursuant to the answer of 27 March 2007,  Official Report, column 1384W, on Railways: Portsmouth, what estimate he has made of the end date for the continued engineering overrun in the Portsmouth area; and if he will make a statement.

Tom Harris: Stagecoach South Western Trains (SSWT) has advised the Department that they continue to have detailed discussions with Network Rail regarding the engineering overrun in the Portsmouth area and to date Network Rail have been unable to confirm a revised completion date with SSWT.
	SSWT has made appropriate changes to its timetable to ensure that it is able to maintain the best service given the restrictions to access.

Rights of Way

Lynne Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what assessment he has made of local authorities' rights of way improvement plans.

Barry Gardiner: I have been asked to reply.
	In its role as a statutory consultee, Natural England has been reviewing, and offering guidance on, individual rights of way improvement plans as they are being prepared. The quality of those adopted so far is reported to be generally very good. By the middle of last month, 14 per cent. of local highway authorities in England had adopted plans—well in advance of the 21 November 2007 deadline. A further 66 per cent. were expected to meet the deadline. I wrote to the chief executives of the remaining 20 per cent. on 27 February 2007 to remind them of their statutory obligations.
	I cannot comment on the progress of rights of way improvement plans in Wales as the National Assembly Government have delegated authority in this area.

Speed Limits: East Sussex

Nigel Waterson: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many fixed speed cameras are located in  (a) Eastbourne and  (b) East Sussex, broken down by site and district council area.

Stephen Ladyman: The Department does not hold this information, but does have the information for the area covered by the Sussex Safety Camera Partnership, analysed by local authority. The details are shown in the following table.
	
		
			  Local authority  Number 
			 Brighton and Hove 9 
			 East Sussex county council 14 
			 Highways Agency (Sussex) 4 
			 West Sussex county council 25 
			 Grand total 52 
		
	
	The National Safety Camera Programme ceased on 29 March 2007 and the response represents data held as at that date. Future operation and deployment of safety cameras will be under the control of local partnerships, who will be better able to supply up to date information.

Speed Limits: East Yorkshire

Greg Knight: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many fixed speed cameras there are in East Yorkshire, broken down by site; when each camera was installed; what assessment he has made of the impact of each camera on road safety; and if he will make a statement.

Stephen Ladyman: The Department does not hold this information, but does have the information for the area covered by the Humberside Safety Camera Partnership, analysed by local authority. The details are shown in the following table.
	
		
			  Local authority  Established  Site name 
			 Kingston upon Hull 10 May 2005 A1165/Clough Road, Hull 
			 Kingston upon Hull 10 May 2005 Spring Bank West, Hull/Princes Avenue to Chanterlands Avenue 
			 Kingston upon Hull 1 August 2005 Beverley Road , Hull 
		
	
	The most recent assessment is the independent four-year evaluation of the National Safety Camera Programme, published on 15 December 2005. This confirms that safety cameras continue to be a valuable and cost-effective method of enforcing speed limits, and cameras in Humberside showed casualty reductions greater than the national average.
	The National Safety Camera Programme ceased on 29 March 2007 and the response represents data held as at that date. Future operation and deployment of safety cameras will be under the control of local partnerships, who will be better able to supply up-to-date information.

Taxis: Kent

Adam Holloway: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how much has been spent on improving safety for taxi drivers in  (a) Gravesham and  (b) Kent in the latest period for which figures are available.

Gillian Merron: The Department does not hold any figures on how much is spent on improving safety for taxi drivers by local authorities and other local bodies. However, we are aware that a number of initiatives have been funded through local transport plans, crime and disorder reduction partnerships and similar sources.
	Recognising the importance of safety, we are, at the national level, funding a research project into the personal security of taxi and PHV drivers and relevant measures that can be taken to improve the position. The project began in January and is expected to take 12 months to complete.
	Also included in the best practice guidance to taxi and PHV licensing authorities is the advice that authorities should look sympathetically on, or actively encourage, installation in vehicles of measures to improve drivers' safety. Attention has also been drawn to Home Office information on crime reduction measures including the provision of CCTV.

ENVIRONMENT FOOD AND RURAL AFFAIRS

Agricultural Wages Board

David Ruffley: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what the reasons are for the retention of the Agricultural Wages Board; and what assessment he has made of the implications of the introduction of the national minimum wage for the board's role and functions.

Barry Gardiner: The Agricultural Wages Board provides a pay structure for the agricultural workers linking minimum pay rates, qualifications and experience. This goes beyond the protection given by the national minimum wage arrangements. Given the fragmented and isolated nature of the agricultural workforce, the strong links between home and job, and the need to protect migrant and seasonal workers from exploitation, the Government decided to retain the agricultural minimum wage when the national minimum wage was introduced in 1999. These concerns remain valid today and the Government consider that it is appropriate to maintain the current protections given to agricultural workers.

Agriculture: Air Pollution

Anne McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what assessment he has made of the risk of making public applications for compliance with the Integrated Pollution Prevention and Control Regulations.

Ben Bradshaw: The Pollution Prevention and Control (England and Wales) Regulations 2000 require advertisement in the local press and in the  London Gazette, that a permit application has been made. A copy of the permit application itself, and any permit issued as a result, are required by the Regulations to be held on the Public Register maintained by the Environment Agency at its relevant local office.
	If the Secretary of State is of the opinion that making information available in this way would be contrary to the interests of national security, he may direct that the information should not be made available. Similarly, if an applicant considers that information which would be made available is commercially confidential, he may apply to the regulator for it not to be made available and may appeal to the Secretary of State if he is dissatisfied with the regulator's decision. In these ways, the risks of publication can be assessed.

Agriculture: Subsidies

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if he will take steps to cap payments to farmers and farm businesses.

Barry Gardiner: Under the rules of the Common Agricultural Policy the UK has no authority to cap payments to farmers and farm businesses. Nor do we think it is an effective or rational way of distributing farm support.
	The European Commission proposed a cap of 300,000 euros as part of Agenda 2000. We opposed this on the basis it would: distort the industry by discouraging the adoption of sensible, market-based, business models; prove administratively burdensome; and imbalance the CAP budget by further penalising net contributors like the UK and Germany.

Air Pollution: Government Departments

Lindsay Hoyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what steps his Department is considering to reduce the amount of carbon emissions that Government buildings produce.

Ian Pearson: Working with the Carbon Trust, DEFRA has developed a systematic approach to carbon management and is actively engaged in identifying carbon reduction opportunities through operational improvements, reduced energy costs, staff awareness and monitoring initiatives.
	A system for benchmarking, monitoring and analysing utility usage across the estate has been created which highlights buildings where substantial energy savings can be made. Focusing on these sites has helped identify key projects which will return major savings on energy consumption and carbon emissions.
	Among other smaller projects, three major 'voltage optimisation' projects which could save the Department a potential 900 tonnes of carbon per year (8 per cent. of DEFRA's total annual carbon emissions) are currently being assessed with a view to implementation before the end of the financial year. The success of these pilot projects will influence the roll out of further initiatives in the new financial year.

Avian Influenza: North West Region

Lindsay Hoyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what strategies his Department has in place to combat  (a) avian influenza and  (b) foot and mouth disease in the North West.

Ben Bradshaw: The key to effective disease control is good surveillance, early detection and rapid response. DEFRA's Contingency Plan for Exotic Animal Diseases, which is available on the DEFRA website, covers arrangements for response to outbreaks of avian influenza and foot and mouth disease. Our contingency planning was tested by the avian influenza case in Suffolk earlier this year and it coped well.
	The North West Regional Resilience Forum has drafted a North West Exotic Animal Disease Plan that complements DEFRA's plan and would be implemented in the event of an outbreak requiring a response from the full range of regional resilience partners.
	DEFRA has also issued extensive guidance to bird and livestock keepers on biosecurity measures to protect their stock from animal diseases, including avian influenza and foot and mouth disease.

Biofuels

Elliot Morley: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what percentage of set aside is being cultivated for biofuel and biomass crops.

Ian Pearson: Of the 360,000 or so hectares English farmers are obliged to set aside, some 76,000 hectares (21 per cent.), have been entered into contracts under the non-food set-aside arrangements for the 2006 Single Payment Scheme. The majority of the hectares concerned would be used for energy purposes, but the precise number could be gathered only at disproportionate cost.

Biofuels

Elliot Morley: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what research his Department has commissioned on the effects on biodiversity of biomass and biofuel crops.

Ian Pearson: My Department funds an ongoing programme of research on Non Food Crops, which includes assessing the effects of energy crops on biodiversity. In particular, we are funding an extension to the RELU-biomass (Rural Economy and Land Use) project to asses field-scale impacts on biodiversity from New Crops. New research for 2007 is planned to model the landscape scale impacts of biomass crops on biodiversity.
	Current evidence indicates that, in comparison with arable crops, energy crops such as short rotation coppice and miscanthus can encourage biodiversity, particularly for birds and insects, although the species composition may differ from those normally found on arable land.

Biofuels: Hemp

David Maclean: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what assessment he has made of the potential to grow hemp as a biofuel crop in England.

Ian Pearson: Research into the potential of hemp as a biofuel crop suggests it is not currently competitive compared to other sources of biomass. However, hemp does have a number of high-value end uses. For example, as a fibre crop it is used in car panels, construction and as horse bedding. In addition, hempseed oil is used in food, cosmetics and various industrial applications. As a result, there is little interest in this country at present in growing it for biofuel production.

Bluetongue Disease

Bill Wiggin: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs when the national plan for tackling bluetongue disease will be published.

Ben Bradshaw: The Bluetongue Control Strategy agreed in 2002, which is available on the DEFRA website, sets out the disease control measures which the UK would use in the event of an outbreak of Bluetongue. The Strategy is currently under review (in partnership with industry) in light of experience and epidemiological evidence from the 2006 Northern European outbreak, and may therefore be subject to amendment.

Bluetongue Disease

Bill Wiggin: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what compensation packages are in place for farmers whose stock  (a) become infected with bluetongue disease and  (b) need to be contiguously culled.

Ben Bradshaw: As Bluetongue is spread via vectors (that is, midges), rather than from animal to animal, compulsory slaughter of ruminants infected with bluetongue would not normally form part of our control strategy. We would not, therefore, expect any compensation to be payable.

Bluetongue Disease

Bill Wiggin: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what estimate his Department has made of the maximum distance a midge infected with bluetongue can travel.

Ben Bradshaw: The species of Culicoides midge, which has acted as a vector for disease in the current North European outbreak, is different from the species which have traditionally acted as the vector in Southern Europe and Africa. The European Food Standard Agency are currently conducting a detailed epidemiological analysis of the North European outbreak, including details of vector biology and behaviour.
	From initial studies it can be roughly estimated that a midge can travel up to 1.5-2 kilometres (km) a day in a local area. However, if caught in suitable meteorological conditions, midges can be carried much farther (that is, more than 200 km) especially over water masses,. All of these details are an approximation and vary according to local environmental, topographical and meteorological conditions.

Bluetongue Disease: Disease Control

Bill Wiggin: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs 
	(1)  what the size is of the restricted area needed to isolate a farm from bluetongue;
	(2)  what plans he has made to combat an outbreak of bluetongue disease.

Ben Bradshaw: The Bluetongue Order 2003 implements, in England, the requirements of European Union Council Directive 2000/75/EEC, which lays down specific measures for the control and eradication of Bluetongue. Similar legislation applies in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.
	The legislation provides for measures (including veterinary investigation and movement restrictions) on premises where the presence of disease is suspected. When disease is confirmed, an initial zone of 20 kilometres (km) radius, a Protection Zone (PZ) of at least 100 km radius and Surveillance Zone (SZ) (at least 50 km beyond the PZ) would be established surrounding the infected premises. The measures applying to suspect premises are maintained and extended to all premises with susceptible animals in the 20 km zone. There is also a ban on the movement of animals out of the PZ, or out of the SZ, although some derogations from movement restrictions may be allowed, in agreement with the European Commission.
	The Bluetongue Control Strategy, agreed in 2002, which is available on the DEFRA website, sets out the disease control measures in more detail. The strategy is currently under review (in partnership with industry) in light of experience and epidemiological evidence from the 2006 Northern European outbreak, and may therefore be subject to amendment.

Bovine Tuberculosis

Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what assessment he has made of the reliability of the use of tuberculin manufactured in Holland to identify cattle with bovine tuberculosis.

Ben Bradshaw: In August last year, the Chief Veterinary Officer issued a report on the possible reasons for the reduction in the number of new tuberculosis (TB) incidents observed in Great Britain (GB) in the first half of 2006. This report, available on the Defra website, includes an assessment of the performance characteristics of the tuberculins manufactured by ID Lelystad BV in Holland, and by the Veterinary Laboratories Agency (VLA), in the context of Britain's bovine TB testing programme. It concludes that, although the two tuberculins perform slightly differently in the field, and that this could be a small contributory factor to the reduction in the number of new TB incidents, the difference is not significant enough to account for the whole fall.
	The performance of the tuberculins manufactured by ID Lelystad and by the VLA has continued to be closely monitored and analysed—our reviews do not call into question the efficacy of either tuberculin supply. Furthermore, all tuberculin used in GB (produced by ID Lelystad or VLA) is produced and assayed to the same standard, as part of European Union licensing procedures.

Bovine Tuberculosis: Cheshire

Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs 
	(1)  how many false positive results were obtained from tests for bovine tuberculosis undertaken in Eddisbury constituency in each of the last five years;
	(2)  how much compensation was paid to farmers in Eddisbury constituency for the slaughter of cattle with bovine tuberculosis in each year since 2001.

Ben Bradshaw: Routine cattle herd testing for bovine tuberculosis (bTB) in Great Britain uses the single intradermal comparative cervical tuberculin (SICCT) test (commonly known as the "skin test").
	Research shows that when the skin test is applied to cattle in bTB-free herds in Great Britain, there is a less than one in 1,000 chance that a non-infected animal will be wrongly classified as a reactor. This is known as the test's false positive rate. An alternative way of defining this is to say that the skin test has a specificity in excess of 99.9 per cent. Although the probability of getting at least one false positive result increases with the size of the herd being tested, it would be extremely rare to find more than one false positive in a herd.
	When considering the false positive issue it is important to bear in mind that failure to confirm the disease by post-mortem examination at the slaughterhouse, or by culturing the causative bacterium in the laboratory, does not mean that the animal was not infected with bTB. In the early stages of this infectious disease, it is not always possible to see lesions with the naked eye and, due to the fastidious nature of the organism, it is not possible to culture it from tissue samples in every case. Because of this it is not possible to give a meaningful figure for the number of false positive test results.
	Statistics on cattle slaughtered under bTB control measures are not collected on a constituency basis, but at county level. The following table shows the number of cattle slaughtered under TB control measures in Cheshire in the last five years:
	
		
			   Number of TB reactors slaughtered  Total number of cattle slaughtered( 1) 
			 2006(2) 120 149 
			 2005(2) 140 248 
			 2004 285 425 
			 2003 422 874 
			 2002(3) 299 393 
		
	
	Details of compensation paid to farmers for the slaughter of cattle under bTB control measures are not available on either a constituency or a county basis. The following table shows the number of animals slaughtered under TB control measures in Great Britain in each year since 2001 and the amount of compensation paid as a result:
	
		
			  Financial year  Total number of cattle slaughtered( 1)  Compensation paid (£ million) 
			 2006(2) 22,242 28.2 
			 2005(2) 30,081 42.8 
			 2004 23,064 33.8 
			 2003 23,821 38.2 
			 2002(3) 23,744 23.1 
			 2001(3) 6,549 7.1 
			 (1) TB reactors, inconclusive reactors and direct contacts. (2) Provisional data, subject to change as more data become available. (3) In 2001, the TB testing and control programme was largely suspended due to the foot and mouth disease (FMD) outbreak. When testing resumed in 2002, resources were concentrated on herds with overdue TB tests which would have had a longer period in which to contract the disease. Also the proportion of high risk herds tested immediately after the FMD outbreak was greater than that prior to the outbreak. As a result, data for 2001 and 2002 are not comparable with other years.

Bovine Tuberculosis: Compensation

Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what measures are in place to ensure that compensation for the slaughter of cattle with actual or presumed bovine tuberculosis is at market value.

Ben Bradshaw: In England, cattle compensation for bovine tuberculosis is determined each month, primarily using table valuations based on contemporaneous sales prices. The 47 cattle categories used were finalised after two public consultations.
	To support the system, sales data are continuously collected, by an independent service provider, from a large number and wide range of sources across Great Britain. These sources include "regular" markets, dispersal sales, and breed sales.
	A statistical analysis of sales data collected during a 12 month period has helped Defra to identify the level of variability in sales prices for each category. This intelligence is used to determine when there are insufficient data to support a table valuation.

Bovine Tuberculosis: Dogs

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what evidence his Department has  (a) commissioned and  (b) assessed on the incidence of bovine tuberculosis amongst dogs; and whether he plans to make this a notifiable disease.

Ben Bradshaw: TB in dogs is already notifiable. The Tuberculosis (England) Order 2006 introduced a duty to report suspected TB in the carcase of any farmed or pet mammal to the Divisional Veterinary Manager of Animal Health (previously the State Veterinary Service). The Order also made it compulsory to notify the Veterinary Laboratories Agency (VLA) if  Mycobacterium bovis ( M. bovis) is identified by laboratory examination of samples taken from any mammal (other than a human).
	Although TB can affect dogs, the apparent incidence is very low. Until 2006, the VLA typically processed fewer than five samples from dogs each year. Since enactment of the new TB Order in March last year, the number of canine submissions to the VLA has increased and tissue samples from 20 dogs were processed in 2006. Only four cases of confirmed infection of canine TB caused by  M. bovis have been recorded by the VLA between 1993 and 2004. There have been no confirmed cases since 2004.
	The consensus of veterinary opinion is that dogs are a spill-over host for  M. bovis and not an epidemiologically significant source of infection for cattle or other species. Therefore, no research has been conducted in this area.

British Waterways: Finance

Paul Rowen: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what assessment he has made of the likely impact on British Waterways' ability to meet its deadline for 2012 for the full clearance of the maintenance arrears if British Waterways' grant-in-aid is to be set at £55.4 million with a five per cent. year on year reduction with adjustments for retail price index; and whether a new deadline has been set for the removal of these arrears.

Barry Gardiner: Funding levels over the Comprehensive Spending Review period have not yet been decided. British Waterways' target to clear its maintenance arrears by December 2012, which it published in 2002-03, was predicated on assumptions of both Government grant and planned returns on commercial income. British Waterways adjusts its plans in the light of updated figures for both grant and income.
	While the safety backlog has been completed, no date has been set for completion of the maintenance backlog. British Waterways will continue to reduce it using a risk-based approach as it moves towards greater self sufficiency through finding ways to boost income.

Bull-fighting: EC Grants and Loans

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what plans he has to seek to end the support available under the Common Agricultural Policy to farms that breed and supply bulls for bull-fighting purposes.

Barry Gardiner: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given on 1 February 2007,  Official Report, column 443W.

Chlorofluorocarbons

Martin Horwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what his most recent estimate is of the amount of UK chlorofluorocarbon emissions from each source; what steps his Department is taking to reduce each of these sources; and if he will make a statement.

Ian Pearson: holding answer 27 March 2007
	I refer the hon. Member to the reply given by the Minister for Science and Innovation, Department of Trade and Industry, on 19 March 2007,  Official  R eport, column 629W, on phase out of remaining specialised uses of chlorofluorocarbons in the UK.
	The most recent estimates of UK emissions of chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) in the UK conclude that emissions have been decreasing since 1995. For example, emissions of CFC-11 dropped from 2.3 kilotonnes per year in 1995 to 0.6 kilotonnes per year. Similarly, emissions of CFC-12 and CFC-113 have dropped from 3.6 and 1.1 kilotonnes per year in 1995 to 0.5 and 0.2 kilotonnes per year in 2006, respectively.
	This is consistent with global trends of emissions of CFCs following the ban in the developed world on production and consumption of CFCs under the Montreal Protocol since 1996, apart from exempt specialised uses agreed by the Parties.
	Estimates of UK CFC emissions by source are not available. The most significant source of emissions is likely to be from historic disposal to landfill sites of equipment containing CFCs.
	The main source from remaining specialised uses is likely to be from asthma inhalers that use CFCs. In 2006, 59 tonnes of new CFCs were allocated to the UK for production of asthma inhalers.
	DEFRA has established continuous observations of CFCs (and other trace gases) at the Mace Head Atmospheric Research Station on the Atlantic Ocean coastline of Ireland. The Met Office uses the observations to estimate the magnitude and spatial distribution of the European emissions. Detailed information on CFC emissions can be found in Manning et al (2003),  Journal of Geophysical Research 108, 4405.

Climate Change: Finance

Martin Horwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what proportion of gross domestic product (GDP) is spent by the Government on actions to combat climate change; whether he plans to increase spending to the 1 per cent. of GDP recommended by the Stern Review; and if he will make a statement.

Ian Pearson: holding answer 14 March 2007
	The Stern Review suggests that taking action to mitigate climate change—by aiming for a stabilisation goal of around 550 parts per million of carbon dioxide equivalent or lower—will cost a total of 1 per cent. of GDP across the world by 2050. However, Stern does not recommend that this estimated 1 per cent. of GDP should come from Government expenditure; nor does he suggest that every country should directly spend 1 per cent. of their GDP on measures to combat climate change—some countries will have higher costs than others.
	Stern's estimate reflects the likely costs under a timely, flexible, global policy, employing a variety of economic instruments to control emissions of a broad range of greenhouse gases. Stern advocates action on three fronts:
	1. To create a global price for carbon;
	2. To provide finance for technology research, development and deployment; and
	3. To take action to change behaviour—including encouraging energy efficiency and reduced deforestation, where there are many cheap abatement opportunities, some that even save money.
	Therefore Stern recommends action by Government to ensure that the private sector faces clear long-term price signals and incentives to ensure low-carbon economies, for example by establishing cap and trade schemes, as well as some level of Government expenditure to bring forward low-carbon technology and tackle market failures. Using only Government expenditure as the sole means of delivering reductions in emissions is likely to impose greater burdens on economies than the alternatives, and if the signals are not clear enough, or we delay action, the costs could be significantly higher.

Coastal Areas: Access

John Leech: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what discussions he has had with ministerial colleagues in other departments on the contribution that providing access to the coast for leisure activities makes to  (a) supporting coastal economies,  (b) reducing obesity and  (c) reducing carbon emissions by encouraging people to take holidays in the UK rather than overseas.

Barry Gardiner: I have regular discussions with Ministerial colleagues across a wide range of topics.

Coastal Areas: Flood Control

Christopher Huhne: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what steps he has taken to ensure that long-term regional strategies are in place to improve coastal flood management to take account of climate change risks; and how much he has allocated to such strategies in each of the next three years.

Ian Pearson: Since the 1990s DEFRA and its predecessors have encouraged coastal defence authorities to produce shoreline management plans (SMPs) that provide a framework for long term strategic planning at the coast, taking account of climate change and other factors. These SMPs are developed on a coastal cell basis which is appropriate for the regional planning scale.
	The first round of plans for the whole coast of England was completed in 1999 and a major programme of review is currently being implemented for completion by 2010. This review will fully incorporate lessons learnt from the first round plans and three pilot second round plans that have been undertaken to test and develop DEFRA's revised guidance to the authorities. In addition, first round plans have pointed to the need for a number of more detailed strategy studies that have been progressed in many areas.
	There is no separate funding allocation for SMPs and these plans and strategic studies are being funded from DEFRA's overall flood and coastal erosion risk management budget. However, priority has been given to such studies in the allocation of limited funds available for new projects in 2007-08 to provide a sound basis for future programmes of improvement works.
	SMPs are key documents to ensure consideration of coastal management issues in regional spatial strategies and future river basin district management plans being produced under the Water Framework Directive.

Common Agricultural Policy

Mark Williams: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how much in financial penalties was incurred by farmers in the UK for breaches under the Common Agricultural Policy in  (a) 2004,  (b) 2005 and  (c) 2006.

Barry Gardiner: This answer relates only to England.
	 Estimated value of penalties under the 2004 IACS Subsidy Schemes
	The current financial value of penalties applied under the 2004 Sheep Annual Premium Scheme is estimated at £387,356.
	The current financial value of penalties applied under the 2004 Bovine Subsidy Schemes is estimated at £1,896,572. These schemes include Beef Special Premium Scheme, Slaughter Premium Scheme (English Adult & Veal), Suckler Cow Premium Scheme and the Extensification Payment Scheme.
	The current financial value of penalties applied under the 2004 Arable Area Payments Scheme is estimated at £7,261,483.
	 Estimated value of penalties under the 2005 Single Payment Scheme
	The current financial value of penalties applied under the 2005 Single Payment Scheme is estimated at £10,917,787.
	 Estimated value of penalties under the 2006 Single Payment Scheme
	Figures are not yet available for 2006 payments.

Common Agricultural Policy

Mark Williams: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs against how many holdings in the UK financial penalties were applied for breaches under the Common Agricultural Policy in  (a) 2004,  (b) 2005 and  (c) 2006.

Barry Gardiner: This answer relates only to England.
	 Number of producers/holdings penalised under the 2004 IACS subsidy schemes
	286 producers/holdings have been penalised to date under the 2004 Sheep Annual Premium Scheme.
	2,697 producers/holdings have been penalised to date under the 2004 Bovine Subsidy Schemes. These schemes include Beef Special Premium Scheme, Slaughter Premium Scheme (English Adult and Veal), Suckler Cow Premium Scheme and the Extensification Payment Scheme.
	9,755 producers/holdings have been penalised to date under the 2004 Arable Area Payments Scheme.
	 Number of Producers/Single Business Identifiers (SBI) penalised under the 2005 Single Payment Scheme
	16,474 Producers/SBIs have been penalised to date under the 2005 Single Payment Scheme.
	 Number of Producers/SBIs penalised under the 2006 Single Payment Scheme
	Figures are not yet available for the 2006 Single Payments Scheme.

Common Agricultural Policy

John Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what steps have been taken to implement in the UK the programme for Enhancing Public Awareness of the Common Agricultural Policy (EU budget line 05 08 06); and if he will make a statement.

Barry Gardiner: Responsibility for the administration and allocation of funds under this budget line rests with the European Commission. Defra plays no part in determining these awards.

Common Fisheries Policy

John Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what steps have been taken to implement in the UK the Programme for Closer Dialogue with the Fishing Industry and Those Affected by the Common Fisheries Policy (EU budget code 11 04 01); and if he will make a statement.

Ben Bradshaw: The Programme for Closer Dialogue with the Fishing Industry and those affected by the Common Fisheries Policy involves the establishment and on-going support of the Regional Advisory Councils (RACs) and the Advisory Committee for Fisheries and Aquaculture (AGFA). These bodies provide advice gathered from interested parties to the Commission and member states. The UK is not entitled to receive these funds, which are administered by the Commission to RACs and AGFA directly. The UK Fisheries Administrations do, however, support the aims of this programme and contribute funding from departmental budgets to support the work of the RACs.
	The UK has an interest in four out of the seven RACs: the North Sea, North Western Waters, Pelagic and Long Distance RACs. While the European Commission has provided support for the set-up and certain operational costs, Defra and the Scottish Executive have provided additional funds and practical support for RACs. These are aimed at enhancing their efficiency, improving the quality of their advice and enabling interested parties in the UK to participate effectively in the RACs. For example, by funding specific projects designed to help RACs provide soundly based advice to the Commission.

Consultants

Daniel Kawczynski: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs which consultancy services his Department has employed over the past 12 months; what projects each has worked on; and what the cost to his Department was of each service.

Christopher Huhne: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs which external consultants were used by  (a) his Department and  (b) each of its agencies on projects excluding private finance initiatives and public-private partnerships in 2005-06; and what the (i) nature and (ii) cost of the work was in each case.

Barry Gardiner: The core-Department does not hold a central list of what every consultancy and professional services provider engaged by the core-Department worked on over the past 12 months, and such a list could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
	I have placed in the House of Commons Library a list held centrally of the consultancy and professional services providers which were paid fees by the core-Department in 2005-06.

Dairy Farming

Iain Wright: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what steps he is taking to encourage fair and sustainable trading for dairy farmers in the UK; and if he will make a statement.

Barry Gardiner: The Dairy Supply Chain Forum provides an opportunity for all links in the supply chain to meet to discuss the challenges facing the industry (in England) and come up with collaborative solutions. It has a pivotal role in providing a framework for constructive debate, giving leadership for the dairy sector and providing information to all the industry to make informed decisions about their future. It has already provided useful information on the impacts of Common Agricultural Policy reform on the dairy sector, global supply and demand, the effects of trade liberalisation, and on barriers to innovation. DEFRA, in collaboration with Dairy UK has enhanced the resources for the Forum this year, enabling more work to be driven forward.
	In addition, the Food Chain Centre is undertaking a number of projects in the dairy sector which DEFRA has supported through substantial grants under the Agricultural Development Scheme (ADS). This work includes a value chain analysis of eight dairy chains, which looks at reducing supply chain waste and improving efficiency. DEFRA is also helping to fund a project being undertaken by the Food Chain Centre and Milk Development Council to encourage benchmarking among dairy farmers to enable them to find ways of reducing their costs of production.

Departments: East Sussex

Nigel Waterson: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how much his Department provided in grants for projects in  (a) Eastbourne and  (b) East Sussex in 2005-06.

Barry Gardiner: The major funding for Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) for local and regional initiatives is through the Revenue Support Grant made to local authorities. The Department for Communities and Local Government (CLG) is responsible for this funding. This covers a number of areas including local environmental quality and waste services.
	DEFRA also provides funding to a range of non-departmental public bodies including Environment Agency, Natural England and Regional Development Agencies.
	In terms of direct grants, DEFRA provided approximately £250,000 for projects for East Sussex county council between 2005-06.
	DEFRA provided approximately £90,000 for projects for Eastbourne borough council between 2005-06.
	These projects relate to animal health, waste, contaminated land and beach management.

Departments: EC Action

Bill Wiggin: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many expert European negotiators he has in his Department; what tasks they are engaged in; and if he will make a statement.

Barry Gardiner: A substantial proportion of Defra's work on environment, agriculture, fisheries and animal health and welfare policy is connected with EU decision-making processes. Therefore, at any given time, a considerable number of our policy experts will be engaged in different kinds of EU negotiations, ranging from ad hoc informal groups through to high-level formal negotiations.

Departments: Email

Christopher Huhne: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what the policy is of  (a) his Department,  (b) non-departmental public bodies reporting to his Department and  (c) executive agencies reporting to his Department on the time after which emails sent to and from the Department and those bodies are deleted; whether such emails are still recoverable after that date from the system; and if he will make a statement.

Barry Gardiner: DEFRA's policy is that significant emails (i.e. those containing information about DEFRA decisions or actions which should form part of the official record) are printed for file or saved and stored corporately in accordance with departmental record management procedures that also apply to paper information. DEFRA's guidance on email management emphasises the importance of capturing all significant email messages but staff are encouraged to delete other emails, such as those relating to meeting arrangements and routine messages, as soon as possible. Deleted emails are recoverable for nine weeks after deletion.
	DEFRA's main Agencies/NDPBs follow broadly similar policies though the Environment Agency has implemented a system to delete any email which has not been saved after 180 days and the period during which backups are retained varies between organisations.

Departments: Employment Tribunals Service

John McDonnell: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many complaints to an employment tribunal were lodged against  (a) his Department and  (b) its associated (i) agencies and (ii) non-departmental public bodies in each of the last five years; and how much it cost his Department to defend and settle those complaints on aggregate in each year.

Barry Gardiner: The number of complaints to an employment tribunal that were lodged against  (a) the core Department and  (b) its agencies and the cost of settling these complaints in the last five years is shown in the following table. The Department has no information on the number of complaints submitted to non-departmental public bodies or on the cost of defending complaints.
	
		
			  Number of complaints 
			   2002  2003  2004  2005  2006 
			 Core Defra 7 2 13 3 19 
			 Agencies 3 0 2 4 22 
		
	
	
		
			  Settlement costs 
			  £ 
			   2002  2003  2004  2005  2006 
			 Core Defra 5,503 1,250 (1)336,000 16,000 4,000 
			 Agencies 22,000 0 500 2,500 2,500 
			 (1 )Includes settlement of one claim submitted on behalf of 44 temporary veterinary inspectors which was settled for £300,000

Departments: Non-departmental Public Bodies

Christopher Huhne: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs which non-departmental public bodies under his Department have changed their  (a) name and  (b) branding since 1997; what changes were made in each case; at what cost to the Exchequer in each case; and if he will make a statement.

Barry Gardiner: I am only able to report on changes which have been made since the formation of my Department in 2001. The non-departmental public bodies which have incurred expenditure through name change and re-branding over this period were Natural England, the Environment Agency and the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.
	Natural England was established in October 2006 when it took over the functions, staff and assets of English Nature; the landscape access and recreation division of the Countryside Agency; and part of the Rural Delivery Service. Natural England does not have information available about changes of name or branding within their legacy bodies prior to that time. The re-branding by Natural England has cost the Exchequer £385,000 for brand materials, website changes, new signs, stationery, publications and launch events.
	In 2004, the Environment Agency reviewed its approach to communications and its brand. The work involving research, development, testing and launch was carried out by a mix of in-house teams, brand consultants and a design firm. Costs up to the launch of the re-brand were £120,000. However, it was agreed that communications materials were only replaced when existing stocks became exhausted or when a contract was due for renewal. No additional money—other than for a short guide to the brand for Environment Agency staff—has been spent "launching the brand".
	During 2003 the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew introduced changes to its branding and public face at a one-off cost of £80,000; this exercise did not involve a change of name.
	None of the other non-departmental public bodies for which my Department has responsibility have undergone re-naming or re-branding.

Departments: Older Workers

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if he will place in the Library a copy of his letter sent to employees at age 65 informing them of the opportunity to continue working if they wish.

Barry Gardiner: The hon. Member will wish to be aware that a letter is sent to employees before their 60th birthday rather than at age 65. The letter sets out the options for employees working beyond 60. The Secretary of State has placed this letter in the Defra library.

Departments: Personation

Nigel Evans: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what steps his Department has taken to raise awareness of the dangers of identity fraud among employees at his Department.

Barry Gardiner: holding answer 28 March 2007
	 As part of a recent review of fraud policy the department acknowledged identity fraud as a potential risk. The review led to a number of steps during 2006 to raise general awareness of fraud, including publishing revised guidance on fraud on the DEFRA internal anti fraud website and publishing a number of articles in the in-house magazine.
	Specific parts of the department will also take action as appropriate. For instance, the Rural Payments Agency has an anti fraud unit—The Counter Fraud and Compliance Unit—which actively counters identity fraud for claimants and is responsible for considering all referrals relating to suspected fraud involving external customers and agents.

Departments: Public Expenditure

Daniel Kawczynski: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what the reasons are for the proposed changes in the budget for the  (a) Veterinary Laboratories Agency,  (b) State Veterinary Service,  (c) Meat and Livestock Commission and  (d) Pesticides Safety Directorate; and what assessment he has made of the likely effect of those changes on the (i) safety, (ii) research and (iii) investigative work of each.

Barry Gardiner: The Veterinary Laboratories Agency's (VLA) budget for 2007-08 has remained static. The only area this is likely to impact on is research and it is more likely that it will result in delays in commencing work rather than work actually being cut.
	The State Veterinary Service (SVS) 2007-08 budget has been reviewed to reflect Defra's wider business needs and also to reflect changes in the SVS's business needs. The budget changes have been reviewed for their impact on the SVS's capacity and capability to deliver, ensuring that disease risks are not increased. In particular, the changes to the SVS budget will not affect safety or the efficacy of investigative work. The SVS does not undertake research.
	The Meat and Livestock Commission (MLC) expenditure is not a matter for my Department. We pay the MLC to carry out certain functions and cuts are planned in some of these work areas. These are not related to the MLC's safety, research or investigative work.
	With regards to the Pesticides Safety Directorate, the savings were focused on lower priority activities and were achieved by improving efficiency and also reducing support service costs. The primary aim throughout has been to protect key services and ensure they continue to be delivered to appropriate standards. The savings put in place will, therefore, have no impact on pesticides safety which is the Directorate's top priority. Some research projects, particularly on the behaviour of pesticides in the environment, will have to be postponed. There should be no significant impact on investigative and surveillance work, particularly since efficiency gains from new technology have allowed the number of samples tested within the key pesticide residues surveillance programme to be maintained at lower costs.

Departments: Redundancy

Justine Greening: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how much was spent on  (a) involuntary and  (b) voluntary staff exit schemes in (i) his Department and (ii) each agency of the Department in each year since 1997-98; how much is planned to be spent for 2007-08; and if he will make a statement.

Barry Gardiner: Expenditure on involuntary and voluntary staff exits in Defra and its agencies since the creation of Defra in 2001 is set out in the following tables. The figures are based on the full estimated cost, including estimated monthly compensation payments up to normal retirement age, of each exit taking place in the stated financial year.
	In order to achieve the Department's SR04 efficiency targets there will be further voluntary exits in 2007-08 but the costs have not yet been determined.
	The following tables show expenditure on voluntary and involuntary staff exits.
	
		
			  (a) Expenditure 2001-02 to 2005-06 (all exits voluntary) 
			  £ 
			   2001-02  2002-03  2003-04  2004-05  2005-06 
			 Defra 1,713,958 338,668 5,774,603 9,291,030 7,673,203 
			   
			  Defra agencies  
			 MFA 0 0 0 0 44,367 
			 CEFAS 183,000 160,000 678,000 600,000 46,000 
			 GDS 0 0 0 0 0 
			 VLA 151,000 22,000 598,000 72,000 237,000 
			 CSL 799,054 336,294 885,787 791,784 303,263 
			 RPA 1,172,000 2,082,000 2,481,000 31,892,000 1,729,000 
			 VMD 0 0 0 0 0 
			 PSD 0 0 0 0 0 
			 SVS 0 0 0 0 193,438 
			 SDC 0 0 0 0 0 
			 Totals 4,019,012 2,938,962 10,417,390 42,646,814 10,226,271 
		
	
	
		
			  (b) Estimated expenditure 2006-07 and 2007-08 
			   2006-07  2007-08( 1) 
			   Voluntary exits( 1)  Involuntary exits( 1)  
			 Defra 14,388,000 400,000 (2)— 
			 
			  Defra agencies
			 MFA 212,000 — — 
			 CEFAS 26,000 — 11,000 
			 CDS 0 — 0 
			 VLA 0 — 0 
			 CSL 0 — 87,500 
			 RPA 0 — 300,000 
			 VMD 0 — 0 
			 PSD 50,445 — 0 
			 SVS 0 — 0 
			 SDC 0 — 0 
			 Total 14,676,445 400,000 398,500 
			 (1) Estimate.  (2) To be confirmed.

Departments: Travel

Dai Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what criteria he adopts to decide what means of transport he uses to travel between his Department's offices and the Palace of Westminster.

Barry Gardiner: There are no formal criteria used. As a general rule the Secretary of State walks to the Palace of Westminster.

Departments: Work Permits

Nicholas Clegg: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many work permits were applied for by  (a) his Department and  (b) its agencies in each of the last five years.

Barry Gardiner: This information is not held centrally. It can be obtained for the last three years but only at disproportionate cost. We are currently undertaking a HR management information review through which we will seek to ensure that all such information relating to new Civil Servants is collected and easily available in the future.

Diabrotica Virgifera

Alan Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs which  (a) public and  (b) private research establishments have received permission to carry out contained experiments involving Diabrotica virgifera in the UK since 1995; on what date permission was granted in each case; what conditions were attached to the consents in each case; and under what legislation the permission was granted in each case.

Barry Gardiner: The following establishments currently hold licences under Part 8 of the Plant Health (England) Order 2005 to carry out scientific experiments on Diabrotica virgifera (preferred name Diabrotica virgifera virgifera), subject to a range of measures to prevent release or escape of the pest.
	 (a) Public research establishments:
	DEFRA's Central Science Laboratory, York
	Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew
	 (b) Private research establishments:
	Syngenta, Jealotts Hill
	University of Cambridge
	University of Durham
	University of Newcastle
	Warwick HRI, Wellesbourne
	Conditions in the licences include:
	(i) use of quarantine containment facilities which have been approved by the DEFRA Plant Health and Seeds Inspectorate
	(ii) inactivation of waste material during the research
	(iii) destruction of all licensed material at the end of the research
	(iv) record keeping
	(v) provision of access to DEFRA inspectors to conduct audit visits.
	It has not yet been possible to retrieve information back to 1995 on licences issued under Article 30 and 30A of the Plant Health (Great Britain) Order 1993. I will write to the hon. Member as soon as this information is available.

Domestic Waste

Caroline Spelman: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs pursuant to the answer to the hon. Member for Brentwood and Ongar (Mr. Pickles) of 30 January 2007,  Official Report, column 285W, on domestic waste, which councils provide alternate weekly collections according to the most recent figures held by the Waste and Resources Action Programme.

Ben Bradshaw: The Waste and Resources Action Programme's (WRAP) most recent list of local authorities (LAs) providing an alternate weekly waste collection (AWC) service is shown as follows.
	Alnwick district council
	Amber Valley
	Ashfield district council
	Ashford borough council
	Aylesbury Vale district council
	Babergh district council
	Bassetlaw district council
	Barnsley MBC
	Berwick-upon-Tweed borough council
	Blackburn with Darwen borough council
	Blyth Valley borough council
	Boston borough council
	Braintree district council
	Breckland district council
	Bridgnorth district council
	Broadland district council
	Bromsgrove district council
	Broxtowe borough council
	Burnley borough council
	Cambridge city council
	Cannock Chase district council
	Canterbury city council
	Caradon district council
	Carlisle city council
	Carrock district council
	Castle Morpeth borough council
	Charnwood borough council
	Cherwell district council
	Chesterfield borough council
	Chichester district council
	Chorley borough council
	Copeland borough council
	Corby borough council
	Crewe and Nantwich borough council
	Dacorum borough council
	Daventry district council
	Derby city council
	Derbyshire Dales district council
	Derwentside district council
	Dudley MBC
	East Cambridgeshire district council
	East Hampshire district council
	East Lindsey district council
	Eastleigh borough council
	Ellesmere Port and Neston borough council
	Erewash borough council
	Exeter city council
	Fenland district council
	Forest Heath district council
	Fylde borough council
	Gedling borough council
	Gosport borough council
	Great Yarmouth borough council
	Hambleton district council
	Harborough district council
	Hartlepool borough council
	Harrow London borough
	Havant borough council
	Hinckley and Bosworth borough council
	High Peak borough council
	Huntingdonshire district council
	Hyndburn borough council
	Ipswich borough council
	Kennet district council
	Kings Lynn and West Norfolk borough council
	Lancaster city council
	Lichfield district council
	Lincoln city council
	Macclesfield borough council
	Mansfield district council
	Melton borough council
	Mendip district council
	Mid Bedfordshire district council
	Mid Devon district council
	Mid Suffolk district council
	Mid Sussex district council
	Mole valley district council
	Newark and Sherwood district council
	North Devon district council
	North Kesteven district council
	North Lincolnshire council
	North Norfolk district council
	North Shropshire district council
	North West Leicestershire district council
	Northampton borough council
	Nottingham city council
	Oswestry borough council
	Oxford city council
	Pendle borough council
	Peterborough city council
	Preston borough council
	Purbeck district council
	Redcar and Cleveland borough council
	Redditch borough council
	Richmondshire district council
	Rochford district council
	Rossendale borough council
	Rushcliffe borough council
	Ryedale district council
	Shepway district council
	South Buckinghamshire district council
	South Cambridgeshire district council
	South Derbyshire district council
	South Gloucestershire council
	South Hams district council
	South Kesteven district council
	South Lakeland district council
	South Norfolk district council
	South Northamptonshire council
	South Ribble borough council
	South Shropshire district council
	South Somerset district council
	South Staffordshire district council
	Stafford borough council
	St. Edmundsbury borough council
	Staffordshire Moorlands district council
	Swale borough council
	Tamworth borough council
	Taunton Deane borough council
	Teignbridge district council
	Telford and Wrekin borough council
	Test Valley borough council
	Tonbridge and Malling borough council
	Torbay council
	Tunbridge Wells borough council
	Tynedale district council
	Uttlesford district council
	Vale Royal borough council
	Wansbeck district council
	Waveney district council
	Waverley borough council
	Wealden district council
	Wellingborough borough council
	West Lancashire district council
	West Lindsey district council
	West Somerset district council
	West Wiltshire district council
	Winchester city council
	Wirral MBC
	Woking borough council
	Worcester city
	Wycombe district council
	Wyre Forest district council
	York city council
	This list represents our best understanding of LAs operating or implementing AWC schemes. However, due to the often rapid changes in this area, it is unlikely to be completely up to date.
	Many schemes are currently being rolled out, so not all households in a LA area will receive the service. In addition, AWC is being trialled in some areas and no decision has been taken as to whether such schemes will be rolled out more widely.
	WRAP estimate that there are around 140 LAs operating an AWC service, which represents about 40 per cent. of collection authorities. Around one third of all households receive an AWC service and this number is set to increase as schemes are rolled out borough-wide.

Domestic Wastes: Waste Management

Caroline Spelman: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs 
	(1)  what guidance his Department and its agencies have issued to local authorities advocating a move to alternate weekly collection schemes for the collection of household rubbish;
	(2)  what estimate  (a) his Department and  (b) its agencies have made of the cost to local authorities of providing (i) weekly and (ii) alternate weekly collections of household rubbish;
	(3)  what funding  (a) his Department and  (b) its agencies have provided to local authorities for alternate weekly collection schemes for the collection of household rubbish.

Ben Bradshaw: It is for each local authority (LA) to decide whether to implement alternate weekly collection, or any other waste management system. However, my Department has funded research and guidance to assist LAs in carrying out their operations in the most efficient and effective manner. This will ensure that such changes in collections do not impact negatively on residents.
	Guidance published by the Waste and Resources Action Programme (WRAP) in 2005 sets out the process councils need to go through if they are considering the introduction of an alternate week collection service. The guidance is based on the experiences of LAs that have already implemented such schemes. WRAP is currently revising its guidance to take account of the latest research, including recent householder and LA experiences. Suitability of an alternate weekly collection service often depends on local geography and housing stock. The guidance also emphasises that a key part of any successful change is following full consultation with local residents.
	My Department has made some assumptions about the costs of alternate weekly collections in our modelling for the review of England's Waste Strategy. Those assumptions were based on collection cost estimates from WRAP's Kerbside Analysis Tool model and five consultants as part of a preliminary benchmarking project run by Be-Environmental and let by WRAP. A more complete study will follow later this year.
	WRAP has not carried out a general assessment of cost savings associated with alternate weekly collection. The work that has been done has looked at particular LAs and how alternate weekly collection has been implemented in these cases. The general work that WRAP has been undertaking for Defra looks at different types of alternate weekly collection design and how this impacts on recycling performance and total quantities of household waste collected.
	Alternate weekly collection covers a number of important design decisions in relation to residual household waste, recycling and composting collections and only one component of this is whether or not to collect household residual waste on alternate weeks. There are many systems where only elements of recycling and composting alternate with one another and the refuse is still collected on a weekly basis.
	WRAP has carried out regular public attitude surveys since 2004 that have included ratings of how convenient the public find different LA collection systems to use. Only a minority of alternate weekly collection systems received poor convenience ratings and these related to systems where insufficient capacity has been provided to householders in the week that alternated with refuse collection.

Domestic Wastes: Waste Management

Caroline Spelman: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs whether he expects Joint Waste Authorities to be able to impose alternate weekly collection of domestic rubbish on individual councils within an authority.

Ben Bradshaw: Under the proposals to allow creation of Joint Waste Authorities (JWA), it will be for groups of authorities to determine which powers they wish to pass to a JWA. If a group of authorities opted to pass waste collection responsibilities to a JWA, then the constituent authorities would no longer have a role in waste collection. The JWA would be responsible for making decisions such as whether to introduce alternate weekly collection. The JWA would be governed by elected members from the constituent local authorities. If a group of authorities chose to pass only waste disposal functions to the. JWA, and to retain waste collection responsibilities themselves, the JWA would not be able to make any decisions about alternate weekly collection.

Endangered Species

Martin Horwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs which Ministers have represented the UK at each meeting of the  (a) International Whaling Commission and  (b) Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species in the last five years; and who the UK's ministerial representatives at the next meetings of these bodies will be.

Ben Bradshaw: holding answer 23 March 2007
	 : At the 2002 annual meeting of the International Whaling Commission (IWC) the UK was represented at ministerial level by my right hon. Friend the Member for Scunthorpe (Mr. Morley). In 2003 no Government Minister attended. In 2004, 2005 and 2006 I attended.
	My right hon. Friend the Member for Scunthorpe (Mr. Morley) also attended the 2002 and 2004 Conferences of the Parties to the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES).
	The Minister with responsibility for biodiversity, my hon. Friend the Member for Brent, North (Barry Gardiner) will be attending both this year's meeting of the International Whaling Commission (IWC59) and the 14th Conference of Parties to CITES (COP14).
	The UK is one of only three members to have regular ministerial level representation at IWC meetings, the others being Australia and New Zealand. Similarly, the UK is among a minority of parties that have regularly had ministerial representation at CITES COPs.

Energy: Conservation

Brian Jenkins: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many pensioner households in Tamworth constituency are eligible for  (a) warm front grants to install energy efficient measures and  (b) (i) free and (ii) reduced cost installation of central heating systems.

Ian Pearson: Information on the exact number of residents in Tamworth eligible for warm front is not available. However, on the basis of statistical modelling used by the warm front scheme manager, it is estimated that some 8,000 households in Tamworth could currently be eligible for assistance from the Scheme.
	Since the start of the second phase of the warm front in June 2005, 491 households in Tamworth have received assistance from the scheme.

Energy: Conservation

Joan Walley: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs 
	(1)  if he will make a statement on the withdrawal of Energy Efficiency Commitment funding to Eaga discussions;
	(2)  what discussions he has had with Eaga on the shortfall in funding for Warm Front grants since the withdrawal of Energy Efficiency Commitment funding.

Ian Pearson: Energy Efficiency Commitment funding has not been withdrawn from the Warm Front scheme.
	Eaga Plc continues to work closely with energy suppliers in meeting energy efficiency saving targets set by the Energy Efficiency Commitment.

Energy: Conservation

Ashok Kumar: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what percentage of houses built since the introduction of energy efficiency regulations in 1985 met the required standards; and what steps his Department is taking to ensure compliance with these regulations.

Angela Smith: I have been asked to reply.
	Enforcement of compliance with the Building Regulations is undertaken by local authorities and the data are not held centrally.
	The Government have been aware of the concerns about non-compliance with the energy efficiency requirements for some time. They gave commitments in the 2003 Energy White Paper to raise performance standards and to work with local authorities on improving enforcement.
	The 2006 amendment to the Building Regulations followed consultations with stakeholders and adopted a number of measures to improve compliance with the energy efficiency requirements. We have since undertaken the most comprehensive information, education and dissemination programme ever in regard to these changes to ensure all stakeholders are aware of the importance of these measures, of their obligations to comply and of ways of doing so. Monitoring of implementation is proceeding with six monthly consultations with the enforcement authorities and regular contacts with the building industry.

Energy: Conservation

Robert Key: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what alternative he recommends for use with  (a) domestic and  (b) commercial dimmer switches when incandescent light bulbs are phased out.

Ian Pearson: We are working with retailers, lighting manufacturers and trade associations to phase out inefficient light bulbs over the next four years. We will phase out only those bulbs for which an efficient alternative currently exists.
	Compact fluorescent light bulbs, an alternative to inefficient light bulbs, are now available for almost all household fittings. Dimmable compact fluorescent light bulbs, which work with both domestic and commercial dimmer switches, are already available and will be made increasingly available in the UK during the phase-out period.

Environment Agency: Finance

Dai Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what plans he has for changes in the Environment Agency budget.

Ian Pearson: The operating grant-in-aid that Defra provides to the Environment Agency (EA) for 2007-08 was announced in December 2006 and totals £570.884 million.
	Overall departmental funding for the financial years 2008-09 to 2010-11, of which grant-in-aid to the EA forms a part, is being considered in the Government's 2007 Comprehensive Spending Review (CSR). The outcome of the CSR will be announced in the autumn. We will continue to work with the EA in preparation for this.

Farm Inspections

Roger Williams: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many people are qualified to  (a) lead farm inspections and  (b) be part of farm inspection teams which are employed by (i) his Department and (ii) the Environment Agency.

Barry Gardiner: The Rural Payments Agency Inspectorate has around 200 inspectors who are fully competent to conduct farm inspections solo or as part of a team.
	In England, Environment Agency officers generally undertake cross-compliance inspections alone (that is, not part of a 'team'). The number of officers trained and competent to undertake cross-compliance inspections in England is in the order of 150.
	In Wales, inspections are normally lead by the Rural Inspectorate Wales and the Environment Agency Wales has about 25 officers trained and competent to undertake inspections.

Fish: River Don

Nicholas Clegg: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs 
	(1)  what steps were taken to ensure that the River Don was stocked with fish appropriate to the local area in the restocking that took place in January and March 2007;
	(2)  what steps are being taken to ensure the recovery of the River Don fishery.

Ben Bradshaw: According to earliest available records (pre-1850), species such as grayling, roach, dace, chub, gudgeon, barbel, common bream, eel and perch are native to the River Don. We have utilised these records, together with the topography of the river, throughout our stocking programmes to stock species appropriate to the location. Fishery surveys were also undertaken after the recent pollution incident, and the data compared to that from previous surveys to help evaluate suitable species for stocking. Stocking needs for 2007-08 will be based upon future monitoring to ensure it meets the demands of the river following this incident.
	Stocking is a useful fisheries management tool for developing and recovering rivers, but only one part of the recovery process. The river will slowly recover naturally as fish from upstream and downstream re-distribute, but we are considering what the river needs to improve fish stocks now and protect against possible future storm sewage incidents. Fish passes, for example, may be installed, according to need, in order to allow stocks unaffected by the pollution to migrate upstream. A recovery plan for the river is being finalised.
	The Environment Agency has committed to work with angling clubs, British Waterways and Yorkshire Water to ensure the recovery and future protection of the river. Meetings have already taken place and discussions are ongoing.

Fisheries

Bill Wiggin: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what measures he is taking to ensure sustainable fisheries management; and if he will make a statement.

Ben Bradshaw: The UK Government continues to play an active role in negotiating improvements to the Common Fisheries Policy (CFP) designed to provide more sustainable long-term fisheries management. We are working to ensure depleted stocks are recovered and subsequently conserved, while at the same time delivering a viable future for our fishing industry, in order to optimise long-term benefits to the nation from fisheries. We are currently consulting the public on our 20-year Strategic vision for marine fisheries in England and English waters. We aim to arrive at a "contract" for marine fisheries recognising that everyone with an interest in fisheries has a role to play in achieving sustainability.
	The November 2006 United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) discussion on a Sustainable Fisheries Resolution took a significant step forward, putting in place an agreed international framework for phasing out high seas bottom trawling over the next two years. This was possible because of the strong position taken by the UK and our EU partners. We continue to press for effective worldwide action and, with the EU, we will seek to ensure that everybody meets their responsibility to prevent this unregulated form of fishing from destroying so many marine creatures and habitats.

Fisheries: Quotas

Bill Wiggin: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what assessment he has made of the likely economic impact on fishermen of the quota swap of UK prawns for German sole; and if he will make a statement.

Ben Bradshaw: In 2006, the UK under-fished its North Sea nephrops quota by some 3,429 tonnes, 2,443 tonnes of which has been carried over to 2007. This takes this year's UK quota for this stock to 25,087 tonnes, which is 4,084 tonnes above the level of its actual landings in 2006.
	In view of this, we concluded that "top-slicing" 375 tonnes from the UK's North Sea nephrops quota to pay for the quota swap with Germany would not have a significant impact on those groups targeting nephrops. Any disadvantage would be greatly outweighed by the benefit to the inshore fleet of securing 150 tonnes of North Sea sole. Without this quantity of sole, there was a real possibility of a significant number of small fishing enterprises going out of business, with a knock-on effect for shore-based companies and the viability of small fishing ports in South East England.
	Fisheries Administrations will be consulting the catching industry on the apportionment of the 375 tonne reduction in North Sea nephrops quota.

Fisheries: Quotas

Bill Wiggin: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what steps he is taking to ensure that there is sufficient quota for the under 10 metre fishing fleet for 2008.

Ben Bradshaw: Fisheries Administrations are considering the future management arrangements for the under 10 metre fleet as part of the Quota Management Change Programme. Work on this has already begun in the light of the Prime Minister's Strategy Unit report "Net Benefits". In this context, we are examining a range of issues, including:
	(i) the balance of quota between the under and over 10 metre sectors
	(ii) the potential for expansion in fishing effort within the under 10 metre fleet
	(iii) and whether the current management systems for these vessels are still appropriate.
	We expect to go out to consultation on proposals in the second half of 2007, with a view to introducing any changes (possibly on a phased basis) from next year. In the meantime, Fisheries Administrations will continue to enhance the fishing opportunities for the under 10 metre fleet wherever possible. This will be done through existing mechanisms such as the facility for quota "swaps" with other groups within the UK and with other member states.

Fisheries: Quotas

Bill Wiggin: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs whether he has plans to swap fish quota with other countries; and if he will make a statement.

Ben Bradshaw: Fisheries administrations swap fish quotas with other EU member states on a regular basis. Quota swaps are undertaken in order to maximise fishing opportunities for the UK fleet. In 2006, some 95 quota swaps were undertaken between the UK and other member states.

Flood Control

Christopher Huhne: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs whether he plans to introduce a floodplain development charge following the findings of the Flood and Coastal Defence Funding Review.

Ian Pearson: As part of the 2002 Flood and Coastal Defence Funding Review, DEFRA consulted publicly on the idea of a floodplain development charge. This is an initial charge on developers in flood risk areas to cover the costs to the public purse of wider measures to protect proposed developments from flooding, beyond those covered by developer payments under section 106 of the Town and Country Planning Act 1990. Further public consultation on the idea was undertaken in 2004 as part of development of the new cross-Government strategy for flood and coastal erosion risk management "Making space for water".
	Responses to the consultations indicated some limited support for a floodplain development charge. However, there would be some adverse effects and a number of difficult practical issues to resolve before such a charge could be introduced. There are no current plans to introduce a floodplain development charge. The Government remain committed to an effective and properly resourced flood and coastal erosion risk management service and will continue to explore options for meeting long-term funding needs.

Genetically Modified Organisms: Netherlands

Graham Stuart: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what assessment his Department has made of the implications for the UK field trials of BASF genetically-modified blight-resistant potatoes of the Dutch Court ruling requiring field trials in the Netherlands of the same GM variety to be destroyed due to insufficient environmental risk assessment; and if he will make a statement.

Ian Pearson: Decisions on research trials of genetically modified organisms (GMOs) are made at a national level. We have our own procedures to consider applications for GM crop trials in England. This includes making sure that there is an appropriate risk assessment in accordance with Directive 2001/18/EC.

Genetically Modified Organisms: Potatoes

Alan Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what studies his Department has  (a) carried out and  (b) supported on the possible effects on human health of pollen produced by the starched-altered GM potato EHG92-527-1.

Ian Pearson: My Department has not commissioned or supported any studies on the possible effects on human health of pollen produced by GM potato EH92-527-1. As with all dossiers for the commercial release of a genetically modified organism under Directive 2001/18/EC applicants are required to provide information on risks to human health and the environment as part of their submitted dossier. This information is assessed by panels of independent expert scientists in all member states. In the UK this is the Advisory Committee on Releases to the Environment. If we or ACRE were not satisfied with the information provided further evidence would be requested.

Genetically Modified Organisms: Research

Alan Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs 
	(1)  whether his Department has supported further research on the same topics covered by the earlier research which was supported by his Department on genetically modified potatoes conducted by Dr. Arpad Pusztai;
	(2)  if he will commission research to review the findings of Dr. Arpad Pusztai on genetically modified potatoes, to include consideration of the findings of the 1998 feeding study of the Institute of Nutrition of the Russian Academy of Medical Sciences.

Ian Pearson: The research study on genetically modified (GM) potatoes conducted by Dr. Pusztai was published in 1999 and was funded by the then Scottish Office Agriculture, Environment and Fisheries Department. DEFRA has not supported any research in this area, the reported findings of both the study by Dr. Pusztai and the 1998 feeding study in Russia relate to the issue of GM food safety, which, in the UK, is the responsibility of the Food Standards Agency.

Home Energy Efficiency Scheme

Frank Field: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many complaints he has received about the operation of the Warm Front scheme; and how many have concerned the company Blue Flag, operating in the North West.

Ian Pearson: Since June 2005, there have been 4,418 complaints logged by Eaga plc regarding the Warm Front scheme overall, with 1,760 being upheld. This represents 0.51 per cent. of all households assisted over the period.
	During that period, 2,963 complaints were received regarding installer companies, with 1,390 of these complaints having been upheld. This reflects 0.41 per cent. of all households assisted.
	Over the same time scales, 33 complaints were received relating to Blue Flag activities in the North West—of which 15 were upheld and seven currently being investigated. This represents less than 1 per cent. of their activity under Warm Front.

Home Energy Efficiency Scheme

Christopher Huhne: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many households  (a) connected and  (b) not connected to the gas mains were helped to improve their energy efficiency by (i) Warmfront, (ii) the Energy Efficiency Commitment and (iii) other publicly funded schemes in each of the last 10 years.

Ian Pearson: The data are not available to establish precisely how many households have been helped by Warm Front and the Energy Efficiency Commitment (EEC) that are not connected to the mains gas supply. However, since June 2005, 93,687 households that do not have gas as their main source of heating have been assisted with a range of energy efficiency and heating measures.
	In addition, 2,600 households received a gas supply funded by Warm Front that enabled them to benefit from the installation of either gas wall heaters or a gas fired central heating system.
	Since Warm Front's inception, in 2000, over 1.2 million households have received assistance from the scheme.
	During the first phase of the Energy Efficiency Commitment (2002-05), suppliers installed a range of insulation, heating and lighting measures and appliances which helped an estimated 40 million households to improve their energy efficiency.

Home Energy Efficiency Scheme: Complaints

Brian Binley: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many consumer complaints were made about the quality of service provided by independently contracted firms in the Warm Front scheme in each of the last three years.

Ian Pearson: The number of consumer complaints about the quality of service provided by firms contracted to the Warm Front Scheme in the areas managed by the Eaga Partnership, between January 2004 and December 2006, are set out in the following table.
	
		
			   Households assisted  Number of complaints  Number of complaints (percentage of households assisted) 
			 2004 133,058 362 0.27 
			 2005 142,703 447 0.31 
			 2006 221,630 791 0.35

Inland Waterways: Finance

Paul Rowen: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what assessment he has made of the effect of effective maintenance of the UK's canals on  (a) regeneration and  (b) tourism.

Barry Gardiner: holding answer 27 March 2007
	 The contribution of the waterways to urban and rural regeneration is acknowledged. They act as a catalyst for economic and social regeneration, having the potential to generate jobs and development. There is reckoned to be around a 20 per cent. uplift in land values along a canal corridor. Their contribution to tourism is also significant given the opportunities they provide for leisure and recreation.

Inland Waterways: Finance

Paul Rowen: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what recent assessment his Department has made of the effect of the reduction in British Waterways' grant on the planned maintenance of canals.

Barry Gardiner: holding answer 27 March 2007
	 This is an operational matter for British Waterways. I understand it announced deferral of major engineering works to the value of £5.6 million following the in-year cut of £3.9 million for 2006-07.

Litter

Andrew Robathan: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what representations he has received about roadside litter in England; what steps the Highways Agency takes against roadside litter along trunk roads; what assessment he has made of the change in volume of roadside litter in England; and if he will make a statement.

Ben Bradshaw: I have received various representations on litter from members of the public and members of both Houses.
	The Highways Agency has a duty under the Environmental Protection Act 1990 to clear litter and refuse from the strategic road network, which includes all motorways and some A-roads and trunk roads. The cleansing duty on other roads is the responsibility of the relevant local authority. To ensure satisfactory standards, cleansing is undertaken in accordance with the Code of Practice for Litter and Refuse.
	Data from the Local Environmental Quality Survey of England 2005-06 show that there has been a steady improvement in cleansing performance over the last three years. However, the survey indicated a rise in levels of detritus on rural roads and other highways.

Maps: EC Action

Caroline Spelman: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what assessment he has made of the potential of the Infrastructure for Spatial Information in Europe directive to harmonise and regulate cadastral data.

Barry Gardiner: Cadastral data are covered by the Infrastructure for Spatial Information in Europe (INSPIRE) Directive and will be subject to the interoperability requirements that INSPIRE will lay down.
	INSPIRE will create a European Spatial Data Infrastructure by improving the interoperability of spatial information (a term often used interchangeably with geographic information) across the European Union at a local, regional, national and international level.
	A series of technical implementing rules will accompany the Directive. These are currently being developed by several drafting teams under the auspices of the European Commission. They include implementing rules on the interoperability and, where practicable, harmonisation of spatial data sets.
	The implementing rules will be subject to expert and public review. DEFRA and other government organisations are participating in this process. In addition, as part of the process for developing the interoperability implementing rules, the Commission (with input from member states) will undertake analyses to ensure that the rules are feasible and proportionate in terms of their likely costs and benefits.

Marine Fisheries Agency

Christopher Huhne: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs 
	(1)  what estimate he has made of the total cost of the re-naming of the Marine Fisheries Agency; and if he will make a statement;
	(2)  whether consultants were hired to advise  (a) his Department and  (b) its non-departmental public bodies on the re-naming of the Marine Fisheries Agency; and if he will make a statement.

Ben Bradshaw: The company Daniel West and Associates (DWA) were commissioned to update the existing Marine Fisheries Agency logo and associated guidelines. The cost is in the region of £5,000 which is to be spent on signs for the offices and document templates. All costs are being met from within the existing Marine Fisheries Agency budget.

Marine Fisheries Agency

Christopher Huhne: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what the sources of funding are for the costs of renaming the Marine Fisheries Agency.

Ben Bradshaw: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given on 23 March 2007,  Official Report, column 1167W.

Organic Farming: Milk

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what support he is making available to farmers who wish to convert to organic milk production.

Barry Gardiner: It is up to individual producers to decide if they want to produce milk organically.
	Aid for converting to organic farming is available under Organic Entry Level Stewardship (OELS). Under this scheme, organic farmers are now paid £60 per hectare (ha) per annum (twice that of the comparable rate of aid for conventional farmers). This is recognition of the inherent environmental benefits delivered by farming organically.
	Since the launch of OELS in March 2005, some 212,452 ha of land has been entered into the Scheme(1), which is 62.5 per cent. of the target of 340,000 by the end of 2007. However, while OELS is stimulating conversion, we have yet to see how far this will contribute to the sector attaining the 70 per cent. target for indigenous produce set by the Action Plan to development organic food and farming.
	(1) As of 20 March 2007.

Packaging

Jo Swinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what steps his Department has taken to introduce mandatory targets for the reduction of excess packaging by retailers and food producers.

Ben Bradshaw: The Packaging (Essential Requirements) Regulations 2003 (as amended) require that all packaging should be manufactured so that volume and weight are limited to the minimum adequate amount to maintain necessary levels of safety, hygiene and consumer acceptance.
	These Regulations are enforced by Trading Standards officers and a number of companies have already been prosecuted for using excess packaging.
	The Producer Responsibility Obligations (Packaging Waste) Regulations 2007 also encourage businesses to reduce the amount of packaging they use. In addition, the Government are encouraging supermarkets to take greater responsibility, in terms of waste, for the packaging and products they place on the market. The Waste and Resources Action Programme (WRAP) is currently working with retailers through the 'Courtauld Commitment', a voluntary agreement which aims to halt packaging growth by 2008 and make absolute reductions in packaging waste by 2010. 13 major retailers, representing 92 per cent. of the UK grocery sector, have already signed the agreement as well as three major brands.
	In addition, DEFRA, working with WRAP and the devolved administrations, has recently secured the agreement of UK retailers to reduce the overall environmental impact of their carrier bags by 25 per cent. by the end of 2008.
	Consumers also have a part to play in encouraging producers to reduce unnecessary waste by choosing goods that are not heavily packaged, buying loose (rather than pre-packaged) food and re-using their own bags.

Palm Oil

Ashok Kumar: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what percentage of biofuels used in the UK is made from palm oil; and what assessment he has made of the carbon dioxide emissions from palm oil production.

Ian Pearson: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given on 26 Jan 2007:Column 2112W.

Paper: Recycling

Caroline Spelman: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what advice his Department has issued to local authorities on whether shredded paper is suitable for collection as part of domestic doorstep recycling collections.

Ben Bradshaw: My Department has not issued guidance to local authorities on collecting shredded paper as part of their domestic doorstep recycling service.
	Although shredded paper can be recycled, some paper mills may not be able to accept it as it can be difficult to re-process. A lack of facilities accepting such material may affect a local authority's decision on whether to include shredded paper in its domestic doorstep recycling collection service.

Pesticides

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs in what form and in which publications and other media he plans to make available the spray records of individual farmers in the Midlands region following the recent announcement by the Pesticides Safety Directorate.

Ian Pearson: The pilot study being carried out by the Pesticides Safety Directorate will enable individual members of the public to get the names of those pesticides a farmer has used on his land where it has not been possible for them to get this information directly from the farmer. We expect that in the majority of cases farmers will pass this information to the enquirer upon request. We anticipate that members of the public will receive this information direct, rather than having to access it in a published form.

Polyethylene Terephthalate: Recycling

Jo Swinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what steps have been taken to encourage the use of recycled polyethylene terephthalate (PET) in manufacturing food and drink packaging; and what assessment has been made of the availability of recycled PET in the UK.

Ben Bradshaw: The Waste and Resources Action Programme (WRAP) is working to maximise the amount and quality of recyclate used in UK manufacturing operations, including uses of polyethylene terephthalate (PET).
	The demand for recycled plastic is very strong, both from UK manufacturers and overseas markets. WRAP has a number of projects over the next two years which aim to switch manufacturing processes from virgin to recycled materials, including a target to support the recycling of an additional 16 kilo tonnes of plastic bottles—an increase of 30 per cent. from current levels.
	WRAP has carried out recent trials with a number of major brands using recovered PET to make new packaging for food and household products. The trials showed that using recovered PET for this kind of packaging is a viable option for manufacturers.
	The UK's first plant to recycle plastics into materials for food packaging was announced at the beginning of March, following the signing of a £12 million joint private and public sector funding agreement. The 35,000 tonne capacity London plant will increase the UK's ability to recycle PET, which might otherwise be exported for recycling or sent to landfill.
	The UK currently recycles or recovers approximately 19 per cent. of all plastic consumed, and this is set to increase to over 25 per cent. by 2010.

Rats

Christopher Huhne: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what assessment has been made of the extent of the problem of rats at the London Olympics site at Stratford; and what plans there are for measures to be taken to tackle any potential problem; and if he will make a statement.

Barry Gardiner: My Department has made no assessment of the extent of any problem of rats at the London Olympics site at Stratford and has no plans to do so as this is a matter for the local authority.

Recycling: Standards

Jo Swinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what progress has been made towards meeting his Department's Waste Strategy 2000 targets on recycling and recovery.

Ben Bradshaw: This is a devolved matter and, in Scotland, is the responsibility of the Scottish Executive. However, in England, good progress has been made towards the targets to improve rates of recycling and recovery set out in Waste Strategy 2000. The key targets were to recycle or compost at least 25 per cent. of household waste by 2005 and to recover value from 40 per cent. of municipal waste by the same date.
	Figures for 2005-06 show that we exceeded the recycling and composting target, with 27 per cent. of household waste either recycled or composted in England. This is nearly four times the amount that was recycled or composted in 1997. In 2005-06, value was recovered from 37 per cent. of municipal waste.
	Following consultation on a review of the Waste Strategy, we intend to build on these improvements and are planning to publish our revised Waste Strategy for England in May.

Reservoirs

John Spellar: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs pursuant to the answer of 16 January 2007,  Official Report, columns 982-83W, on reservoirs, what the latest information is on reservoir levels.

Ian Pearson: In January, overall storage for reservoir storage in England and Wales rose by 3 per cent. to 95 per cent. It remained unchanged in February. As of 6 March, overall storage rose to 97 per cent. Two reservoirs or reservoir groups are below normal.
	The Environment Agency publishes monthly water situation reports, including information on reservoir storage. The report is supplemented by a weekly update during dry periods. This information is available on the Agency's website.

Round Up Ready Alfalfa

Alan Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what recent assessment he has made of international evidence on risks associated with Monsanto's Round Up Ready Alfalfa; if he will list the evidence he has considered; and if he will make a statement.

Ian Pearson: We have not made any assessment of the Monsanto Round Up Ready Alfalfa. No application has been made to approve its commercial use within the European Union (EU). If such an application were made, a detailed assessment would be undertaken of the potential risks for human health and the environment, as required by EU legislation.

Seals: Canada

Laurence Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what recent discussions he has had with the Canadian Government about seal hunting; and if he will make a statement.

Ben Bradshaw: The Canadian Government is fully aware of the UK Government's opposition to the seal hunt and we continue to raise our concerns with them at every appropriate opportunity. Most recently, on 28 March, my right hon. Friend the Minister for Trade (Ian McCartney), met a delegation from Canada to discuss the UK's announcement that we intend to press for an EU-wide extension of the existing import ban of all harp and hooded seals' skin products.

State Veterinary Service

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs why the State Veterinary Service is being rebranded as Animal Health; and what form the new organisation will take.

Bill Wiggin: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what estimate he has made of the cost of changing the name of the State Veterinary Service to Animal Health.

Peter Ainsworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs 
	(1)  what the expected cost is of changing the name of the State Veterinary Service to Animal Health; and how much is expected to be accounted for by  (a) replacement signs,  (b) headed notepaper,  (c) other branded stationery,  (d) website redesign and  (e) other costs;
	(2)  which of his Department's executive agencies and other connected bodies has changed its name since 2003; and what the associated cost was in each case of  (a) replacement signs,  (b) headed notepaper,  (c) other branded stationery,  (d) redesign of website and  (e) other costs.

Ben Bradshaw: Animal Health (AH) will be an executive agency, sponsored by, and working on behalf of DEFRA. It also works on behalf of the Scottish Executive and Welsh Assembly in implementing animal health and welfare policies, including the regulation of trade in endangered species.
	AH will also work on behalf of the Food Standards Agency in England and Wales to protect public health by ensuring that dairy hygiene and egg production standards are met.
	The Hampton Review recommended the consolidation of DEFRA inspection and enforcement functions into seven thematic regulators, one being a new executive agency for Animal Health and Welfare, with the State Veterinary Service (SVS) at its core. DEFRA Ministers subsequently determined to merge the Dairy Hygiene Inspectorate, the Egg Marketing Inspectorate, and the Wildlife Licensing and Registration Service (WLRS) with the SVS to create such a body. The Dairy Hygiene Inspectorate joined the SVS in October 2006, and the Egg Marketing Inspectorate and WLRS will join on 1 April 2007.
	The organisation undertakes a wide range of tasks (over 600) in animal health and welfare and related areas. The joining organisations have congruent roles relating directly or indirectly to animals, animal health and welfare and public health. As the role of the organisation expands to embrace new partners, responsibilities and enforcement powers, the veterinary-focus of the current SVS brand would not adequately communicate the remit of the organisation.
	It is not possible to accurately estimate the cost of this work, or break it down as requested, since it is still ongoing. However, we expect that in total the work will cost less than £60,000.

Veterinary Services: Rural Areas

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what steps he is taking to improve 24 hour veterinary cover in rural areas.

Ben Bradshaw: The Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons (RCVS) sets guidelines for the provision of 24 hour veterinary coverage in the UK. According to these guidelines, emergency cover requires that a veterinary surgeon deals promptly at any time with first-aid and emergencies either directly or by alternative means (for example, by cooperation with other practices). The veterinary surgeon retains discretion to assess what constitutes an emergency need and may in some ceases delay seeing a case until the next day. There is no statutory requirement for veterinary surgeons to provide 24 cover.
	The RCVS has reconvened its working party on 24 hour cover, to review the current guidelines and in particular, consider how these should be applied in more remote areas.
	DEFRA is not aware of any instances where 24 hour cover is declining or not currently being met in rural areas. The recent case reported to us in relation to general veterinary cover in the Scilly Isles has been resolved. We have been working closely through the Vets and Veterinary Services working group to address a number of issues, including the provision of 24 hour cover in rural and remote areas of the country. The group includes representatives from the British Veterinary Association (BVA), the RCVS and the National Farmers Union.
	We are continuing to work with the RCVS and the BVA to develop the necessary information base to assess whether there are any areas which may be at risk as a result of the changing agricultural base or changes in the rural/urban landscape. This year, we have included specific questions in DEFRA's Farm Practices Survey to assess the farmer experience of accessing veterinary services.
	Some rural practices are making greater efforts to co-ordinate their out of hours services in the same way that small animal practices have done for some time. The BVA has indicated a willingness to develop more information on improved business methods for rural practice, which will help many practices to improve the way they provide 24 hour cover.
	In relation to the welfare of animals, the Government stress the statutory requirement for keepers of livestock in rural and remote areas to provide appropriate husbandry for animals in their care. We are working, through our Farm Health Planning team, to support initiatives which will enable veterinary surgeons to provide more managed farm health planning and reduce the reliance on care only in emergency situations.
	In order to assure greater transparency and to enable a clearer plan of work in relation to Vets and Veterinary Services, DEFRA has agreed to relinquish chairmanship of this working group and we hope to be able to announce an independent chairman shortly.

Veterinary Surgeons Act 1966

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what plans he has to introduce legislation to amend the Veterinary Surgeons Act 1966 through Orders in Council.

Ben Bradshaw: Section 21 of the Veterinary Surgeons Act 1966 (VSA) provides power to make Orders in Council to give effect to any agreement between Ireland and the UK concerning veterinary surgeons. There are currently no plans to introduce any such Order.
	The VSA has previously been amended by Order in Council under section 2(2) European Communities Act 1972 (ECA). Such Orders in Council may be made for the purpose of implementing EC obligations. DEFRA plans to make such an Order shortly concerning the mutual recognition of professional qualifications as between EC member states.
	Other than the forthcoming mutual recognition Order, DEFRA does not intend to amend the VSA by Order in Council. My officials recently held a very constructive and helpful meeting with the President of the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons to discuss proposals from the RCVS Council to modernise the Veterinary Surgeons Act. We are currently considering these proposals and will continue to work closely with the RCVS on this issue.

Warm Front Scheme: East Sussex

Nigel Waterson: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many homes in  (a) Eastbourne and  (b) East Sussex used the Warm Front scheme in each year since 2001.

Ian Pearson: The following table shows the number of households in Eastbourne and East Sussex assisted by the Warm Front Scheme in each scheme year since 2001.
	
		
			   Eastbourne  East Sussex 
			 2000-01 192 1,449 
			 2001-02 413 3,492 
			 2002-03 494 3,294 
			 2003-04 532 3,033 
			 2004-05 496 3,128 
			 2005-06 437 2,242 
			 2006-07 (to 31 December 2006) 370 2,528 
			 Total 2,934 19,166

Waste Disposal

Alan Whitehead: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what regulation of the manufacture and consumption of lumpwood charcoal is undertaken under the terms of the Waste Incineration Directive.

Ben Bradshaw: The Waste Incineration Directive will only apply in the following circumstances:
	(i) the plant manufacturing charcoal uses wood waste that may contain halogenated organic compounds or heavy metals as a result of contamination with wood preservatives or coatings
	(ii) and the wood waste originated from construction or demolition waste
	(iii) and the plant burns any of the pyrolysis products.

Waste Disposal: Schools

Jo Swinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what estimate has been made of the amount of municipal waste produced by schools.

Ben Bradshaw: This is a devolved matter and, in Scotland, is the responsibility of the Scottish Executive.
	A total of 28.7 million tonnes of municipal waste was generated in England in 2005-06. No reliable estimate is available of the proportion of this which was produced by schools.

Waste Management

Caroline Spelman: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what guidance  (a) his Department and  (b) WRAP has issued to local authorities on the use of spy cameras for the purpose of monitoring local residents at municipal rubbish dumps.

Ben Bradshaw: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave on 19 February 2007,  Official Report, column 190W.

Water Supply: Orders and Regulations

Tony Baldry: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what estimate he has made of the  (a) one-off and  (b) recurring cost of implementing the Water Supply (Water Quality) Regulations 2000 to (i) businesses and (ii) the regulators.

Ian Pearson: The regulatory impact assessment (RIA) for the Water Supply (Water Quality) Regulations 2000, which transposed the requirements of the 1998 EU Drinking Water Directive, was published in December 2000. Copies are available in the Library of the House.
	Water companies have borne the administrative costs of implementing these regulations. These were estimated as £485,658, involving £439,962 for contingent or one-off costs and £45,696 for recurring costs. The Drinking Water Inspectorate incurred a one-off cost of £50,000 for establishing data handling systems and a recurring cost of £25,000.
	For small and medium sized businesses, the proportion of an average bill that reflects the new requirements of the 2000 regulations ranged from nothing to £7.45 (average bills, weighted according to populations served to give regional averages for bill size).

Water: Bills

Caroline Spelman: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what the average domestic water and sewerage bill was in England in each year from 1996-97 to 2006-07.

Ian Pearson: Ofwat is the economic regulator for the water and sewerage industry in England and Wales and sets price limits for each water company at price reviews.
	The following table sets out the average household bills for water and sewerage customers in England and Wales since 1996-97 in 2007-08 prices.
	
		
			  Average household bills for water and sewerage, 2007-08 prices 
			   £ 
			 1996-97 296 
			 1997-98 298 
			 1998-99 299 
			 1999-2000 303 
			 2000-01 265 
			 2001-02 263 
			 2002-03 263 
			 2003-04 266 
			 2004-05 274 
			 2005-06 294 
			 2006-07 303 
			 2007-08 312 
			  Note: Bills for 2006-07 and 2007-08 are estimates based on provisional and forecast data respectively provided by each company, for the year ending 31 March.

Water: Bills

Caroline Spelman: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what estimate his Department has made of the average  (a) water and  (b) sewerage bill in (i) 2007-08, (ii) 2008-09 and (iii) 2009-10, in actual prices, following the implementation of Ofwat's Future Water and Sewerage Charges Final Determination plans.

Ian Pearson: Ofwat is the economic regulator for the water and sewerage industry in England and Wales and sets price limits for each water company at price reviews.
	The following table sets out the estimated average household bills for  (a) water and  (b) sewerage for customers in England and Wales between 2007 and 2010.
	
		
			  £ 
			   Water( 1)  Sewerage( 1) 
			 2007-08 150 162 
			 2008-09 153 167 
			 2009-10 154 171 
			 (1) 2007-08 prices 
		
	
	Bills for 2007-08 are based on forecast data provided by each company, for the year ending 31 March. Estimated bills for 2008-09 and 2009-10 are shown in 2007-08 prices and do not take into account the effect of future inflation (measured as RPI in November).

INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT

Afghanistan: Overseas Aid

Mark Lancaster: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development pursuant to the answer of 8 February 2007,  Official Report, column 1070W, on Afghanistan: overseas aid, how many of the 16,000 community development councils have produced community development plans to date.

Hilary Benn: The Government of Afghanistan's National Solidarity Programme (NSP) reports progress on a monthly basis. As of 28 February 2007, 16,343 Community Development Councils had been elected, and 16,068 community development plans had been completed.

Afghanistan: Schools

Geoffrey Clifton-Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how many schools have been built by the  (a) Afghanistan government and  (b) international community since the London Compact of January 2006; and how many schools he expects to be built by the (i) Afghanistan government and (ii) international community in the next 12 months.

Hilary Benn: According to the Ministry of Education (MoE) of the Government of Afghanistan (GoA), since January 2006 a total of 1,011 schools have been built or are under construction. The MoE plans to build a further 1,700 schools in the next 12 months, although this figure will not be confirmed until after this year's budget has been approved. The building of these schools is partially financed by support to the GoA from the international community, although disaggregated figures are not currently available.
	The latest GoA monitoring report showing progress against the targets in the Afghanistan Compact states that a total of 510 school buildings are currently under construction by MoE and donors. Again, figures disaggregated by the GoA and the international community are not available.

Africa: Health Workers

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what steps he is taking to address the shortage of health workers in Africa.

Gareth Thomas: The UK Government recognises that health workers are essential to the delivery of essential health services and achievement of the health related MDGs. DFID therefore invests substantially in health, supporting African Governments to strengthen their health services. DFID uses a variety of mechanisms, including support to international agencies, direct support to Government budgets, working jointly with other donors or through projects. For example, in Malawi, where the shortage of health workers is particularly severe, we provide £100 million support for the health sector of which £55 million is earmarked for the Emergency Human Resources Programme. This programme focuses on improving recruitment and retention through salary increases for health workers, expanding training capacity—doubling the number of nurses and tripling the number of doctors in training—and using international volunteer physicians and nurse tutors while more Malawians are being trained. The programme also supports human resources planning and management capacity in Malawi's Ministry of Health. In Nigeria and Kenya, DFID provides technical assistance to develop human resources for health plans. A long-term £50 million health reform programme has been agreed in Sierra Leone which will strengthen recruitment, training and retention of key health workers.
	DFID engages regionally and globally on policy development and advocacy with key institutions such as WHO, the World Bank and African regional institutions such as the African Union (AU) and the New Partnership for Africa's Development (NEPAD). DFID has recently committed £1 million to support the formation of the Global Health Workforce Alliance which will play a key advocacy, policy and convening role on human resource for health issues.
	Health worker brain drain results from a mix of country push factors that motivate staff to leave, and pull factors that attract workers away. DFID works with the UK Department of Health to develop and implement policies that prevent the targeting of developing countries in the international recruitment of health care professionals including agreeing a list of countries from which the NHS does not actively recruit. In addition, the Department of Health has brokered agreement for this Code to apply to major players in the UK independent healthcare sector.

Africa: Health Workers

Si�n James: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what recent discussions he has had with the International Monetary Fund on support to health services in developing countries in Africa.

Hilary Benn: The recruitment, training and retention of health workers is essential to improve the delivery of basic health services in Africa. This requires budgets that can support and sustain long term public investment. The advice the IMF gives to African countries on budget issues needs to contribute to strengthening health services.
	Concerns have been raised in some African countries about the impact of public sector expenditure ceilings on the retention of health workers. We have been closely monitoring the impact of ceilings and discussing these concerns with the IMF. The IMF has agreed to engage further in discussions at national and global level on the issue of health work forces and how these can be best supported by their programmes. These should recognise the constraints all countries face in deciding on appropriate levels of expenditure, domestic deficits and borrowing and also how higher spending on public services can be supported by higher levels of aid. In discussions with the international financial institutions, DFID continues to urge an approach that supports stability, growth and the best use of higher levels of aid. These discussions include the topic of fiscal space which will be discussed at this year's spring meetings.

Africa: Health Workers

Si�n James: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what steps his Department is taking to improve access to healthcare in developing countries in Africa.

Hilary Benn: The core of DFID's work in health in developing countries in Africa is to support national partners in their efforts to build effective and accessible health services which are able to prevent, identify and treat the major causes of ill health.
	This includes support to address the shortage of health workers, and remove barriers such as user fees that prevent the poor from using services. For example, in Malawi DFID has provided 55 million over six years to fund an innovative Emergency Human Resources Programme to support the training, recruitment and retention of health workers. This will eventually double the number of nurses and treble the number of doctors. In Zambia DFID has committed 14.5 million over five years to support the abolition of user fees in public health facilities.
	In 2005-06 DFID provided 183 million(1) in direct support to health sectors in our 16 priority African countries. We are increasingly working in fragile states including those that have recently emerged from conflict such as Sierra Leone and the Democratic Republic of Congo. In last year's International Development White Paper we committed to further increase spending on basic services, including health, to at least half of the UK's direct support to developing countries.
	DFID supports access to health care through a range of complementary approaches; through technical assistance and project support; through support for Global Health Funds, our contribution to UN organisation, support for NGOs and, where the environment is right, through direct budget support. We aim to work to complement the efforts of other donors in support of national health plans.
	(1) Statistics on International Development 2001-02 to 2005-06.

Africa: HIV Infection

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what steps he is taking to prevent mother-to-child transmission of AIDS in Africa.

Gareth Thomas: DFID is increasing its focus on preventing mother to child transmission of HIV. The UK funds prevention of mother to child transmission programmes in Africa through UNICEF and through budget support.
	In Zimbabwe, DFID is initiating a 25 million project designed to address maternal and newborn health in a comprehensive way including diagnosing HIV in pregnant women, improved obstetric care, increasing access to drugs and other pre and postnatal health services, nutritional monitoring of mother and baby with treatment for mother, father and child if they have HIV.
	In Malawi, where DFID is the major donor in the health sector, with an investment of 100 million over the period 2004-10, a rapid scale up in prevention of mother to child transmission services is taking place with the aim that every pregnant woman visiting a health facility will have access to HIV prevention and treatment services. During 2005, 5,000 of 7,000 HIV positive pregnant women received a complete course of Anti Retro Viral prophylaxis. The aim is also that more HIV positive pregnant women offered help to prevent mother to child transmission are referred for care and support servicescurrently only one third of women are referred on. The Government, UN and other partners in Malawi are working to overcome the very real constraints associated with cultural beliefs and practices, weak health systems and structures, scarcity of health staff in the country, poverty and stigma.
	In addition to core funding to UNICEF, DFID has provided over $1.5 million to an 'Accelerating Action for Children Affected by HIV and AIDS' programme. This gives focus to the 4 P'sProtection, Prevention, Prevention of mother to child transmission and Paediatric AIDS. The three year programme aims to expand and accelerate action, increase the availability and quality of evidence, improve coherence between the UN and other partners and increase the prominence of children and AIDS across the UN system.

Africa: HIV Infection

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what steps he is taking to secure generic versions of  (a) Kaletra and  (b) Viread for the treatment of people with AIDS in Africa.

Gareth Thomas: The United Kingdom (UK) has already pledged to spend 1.5 billion on AIDS programmes between 2005 and 2008: this reflects our commitment to Universal Access. Despite this progress, much still needs to be done. In addition to funding AIDS programmes, we are supporting UNITAID, the new international drug purchasing facility, to fund second-line Antiretrovirals (ARVs), paediatric ARVs and TB and malaria drugs predominantly in low income countries. We hope that UNITAID will contribute to the necessary reductions in the prices of second-line drugs such Viread and Kaletra. The UK is also helping to strengthen the World Health Organisation (WHO) to accelerate the medicines prequalification process through UNITAID.
	In Africa, DFID supports treatment specific programmes; for example, we are providing antiretroviral therapy (ART) in Zambia, Rwanda and also the Democratic Republic of Congo, in programmes that focus on treatment, prevention of mother to child transmission (PMTCT) and post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP). We also support treatment programmes through interventions aimed at strengthening health systems and the provision of technical assistance to Ministries of Health (MOH), for example in Malawi. Decisions on what and how to fund are made in country and are based on partner Government and other donor investments through the presence and engagement of the Global Fund to fights AIDS, TB and Malaria (GFATM), President Bush's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR), the World Bank and other bilateral funds.

Africa: Maternal Mortality

David Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what discussions he has had with his counterparts in the United Nations on additional measures to arrest the recent rise in the number of maternal deaths in Zimbabwe, Malawi and Ghana; and if he will make a statement.

Hilary Benn: In Ghana, measurements of the Maternal Mortality Ratio are unreliable. The latest official figures are based on the 1993 Demographic Health Survey (DHS) when it was estimated to be 214 per 100,000 live births. A draft review of health sector performance for 2006 suggests a downward trend and an estimated maternal mortality rate of 187 per 100,000 live births. These figures need to be interpreted with care. At country level, discussions with the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) are taking place over the measurements of maternal mortality in the 2008 Demographic Health Survey and/or the 2010 Census.
	Development partners including DFID together with the World Health Organisation (WHO), UNFPA and United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF), are discussing within the framework of annual plans of the health Sector Wide Approach (SWAp) and the new five-year health sector plan (2007-11), the implementation of package health interventions. This is aimed at accelerating progress towards Millennium Development Goals 4 and 5 around safe motherhood strategies, improving access to and quality of emergency obstetric care and the promotion of child spacing.
	Malawi's 2004 DHS shows a slight decline in the Maternal Mortality Ratio from the 2000 DHS figure of 1,120 per 100,000 live births, to 984 per 100,000 live births. This is unacceptably high.
	DFID has committed 100 million over six years to the Government of Malawi-led health SWAp (2004-05-2010-11). Of this, 55 million will address the human resource crisis through salary top-ups to recruit and retain staff, improved training and, as a stop-gap measure, providing expatriate volunteers to fill training and specialists positions. 45 million will finance the Essential Health Package including improved facilities, drugs and other supplies.
	On 30 March Malawi's Minister of Health, Marjorie Ngaunje, launched Malawi's 'Road Map' to reduce maternal and neonatal deaths in Malawi under the SWAp. This strategy aims to strengthen service delivery at all levels of the health system and the capacity of individuals and communities to improve maternal and neonatal health. Districts have also been able to 'kick start' action on maternal health using flexible funds from the SWAp. This includes the signing of 47 service level agreements with the Christian Health Association of Malawi to remove user fees for maternal services and using locum payments to midwives to go to health centres to cover staff shortages.
	The UN (UNFPA, WHO and UNICEF) supported the development of Malawi's Road Map. The UN and DFID sit together on the sectoral level Sexual and Reproductive Health Technical Working Group which coordinates stakeholder support to the implementation of this government-led strategy.
	In Zimbabwe, maternal mortality has worsened significantly in the last 15 years, due mainly to the HIV and AIDS epidemic, deteriorating health services and increasing barriers to access including user fees. Recent figures estimate that the lifetime risk of a woman dying of pregnancy or childbirth related clauses is one in 16 or 6,250 per 100,000.
	DFID is working with the UN (UNFPA and UNICEF) and civil society organisations to develop a joint programme to reduce maternal and infant mortality. DFID will contribute 25 million over five years. This programme aims to protect the lives of mothers and newborns, especially those affected by HIV and AIDS and to maintain access to family planning services, including contraceptives and to lifesaving obstetric services and newborn care. The programme will build the evidence base about obstacles to sexual and reproductive care, infant feeding for HIV exposed babies after six months, and will support a national maternal and prenatal mortality study in Zimbabwe in order to inform policy options.

Burma: Overseas Aid

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development if he will take steps to increase financial support provided for projects promoting  (a) human rights and  (b) democracy in Burma.

Gareth Thomas: DFID already provides significant support to projects to help the people of Burma access their human rights and build the foundations for sustainable democracy. Our programme includes a wide variety of activities, such as capacity-building for local non-governmental organisations (NGOs), training for journalists, work to involve poor people in decision-making about issues that affect them, and support for the empowerment of poor women. In addition, the British embassy in Rangoon is carrying out extremely valuable work to build local capacity.
	DFID is about to start work on the implementation of a 3 million programme designed to expand and strengthen DFID's work to support increased prospects for a successful transition to democracy and respect for human rights in Burma. The programme will increase opportunities for Burma's people to engage in political decision-making processes at the local level affecting their welfare, livelihoods and governance.

Burma: Overseas Aid

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development why his Department has ended funding for the Burma projects of the BBC World Service Trust.

Gareth Thomas: DFID has recently only supported one BBC World Service Trust project in Burma: a grant of 1,997,513 for a radio soap opera to raise awareness of HIV/AIDS in audiences in Burma. The project started in January 2003 and was to last three years. By late 2005, the project was spending DFID's grant more slowly than budgeted, so we agreed an extension until September 2006. A review at that point judged that the project was judged likely partly to achieve its purpose. When the project managers requested a further extension we declined in order to focus our resources on other projects which we judged would be even more effective in reducing poverty in Burma.

Cocoa: Imports

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development if he will meet  (a) UK chocolate manufacturers and  (b) others in the cocoa industry to urge them to provide a Traffik Free Guarantee for the cocoa they (i) harvest, (ii) import and (iii) use; and if he will make a statement.

Gareth Thomas: My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State has no immediate plans to meet with chocolate manufacturers to discuss the use of child labour in the production of cocoa, but he met with Cadbury Schweppes at the end of last year and has met with Stop the Traffik. In addition, the UK Government have been engaging with the International Cocoa Initiative, which was set up by the chocolate manufacturers to address concerns about the use of the worst forms of child labour in cocoa production. The Initiative is focusing on surveying working practices in Ghana and Ivory Coast to identify what activities in the production of cocoa would fall into the International Labour Organisation's (ILO) definition of the worst forms of child labour, how widespread these activities are and how best to tackle them. In doing this the International Cocoa Initiative is working closely with the governments of Ghana and Ivory Coast. The Secretary of State discussed the work of the International Cocoa Initiative when he met representatives of Cadbury Schweppes on 2 October. A progress report on the Initiative's work was given to the chocolate manufacturers and other interested parties at a meeting of the Cocoa Task Force hosted by the Foreign and Commonwealth Office on 22 February this year.
	The Secretary of State met with Stop the Traffik, the campaign group behind the Traffik Free Guarantee, on 13 February where they discussed forced labour in cocoa production.

Democratic Republic of Congo: Overseas Aid

Tony Baldry: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development by which aid modality the Environmental Transportation Fund for the Congo Basin announced in the Budget will be delivered; what proportion will be delivered to the 10 country recipients by direct budget support; and if he will make a statement.

Gareth Thomas: The UK is committing 50 million of the 800 million international environmental transformation fund to support on conservation of the Congo basin's forests, associated livelihoods and civil society participation. The countries concerned are Burundi, Cameroon, Chad, Central African Republic, Democratic Republic of Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, Republic of Congo, Rwanda and Sao Tome.
	Funds will be managed by a multilateral development bank and decisions on allocation of funds will be taken by a steering board including representatives of central African countries, donors and civil society. The governance framework is intended to ensure African ownership, effective outcomes, good financial management, and protect the livelihoods and rights of forest people. The UK will work with the Congo Basin countries, the World Bank, the African Development Bank and other potential donors on the details of this governance framework.
	The UK's 50 million contribution is for the 10 central African countries as a whole and will finance practical actions at a country level as well as at a regional level. In some countries this may result in a proportion of funding being delivered via direct budget support. Decisions about the means of delivering assistance will be taken by the Steering Board.

Departments: Advertising

Oliver Heald: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development pursuant to the answer of 19 February 2007,  Official Report, columns 69-70W, on Departments: advertising, if he will place in the Library a copy of the contract with the newspaper for  (a) sponsoring the supplement and  (b) the advertorials.

Gareth Thomas: For the supplement, 'Eliminating Poverty' a summary of the UK Government's 2006 White Paper on International Development, DFID, through the Central Office of Information (COI), commissioned a separate media buying company to negotiate with  The Guardian in order to obtain the best possible rates. There was no written contract between the media company and  The Guardian. DFID was billed for the work by COI.
	DFID is unable to place the contract for the G8 One Year On  Observer supplement, advertorials, and Guardian Unlimited microsite in the Library, as this would be a breach of commercial confidentiality.

Departments: Advertising

Oliver Heald: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how much his Department spent on  (a) sponsoring newspaper or publication supplements and  (b) funding advertorials in newspapers and publications in the last year for which figures are available; and what the topic of each was.

Gareth Thomas: The Department for International Development (DFID) has spent the following on sponsoring newspapers or publication supplements and advertorials in the last year for which figures are available, and the topic of each are as follows:
	
		
			  Supplements  Cost (inc. VAT)  Date  Topic 
			 Newspaper Supplement in  The Guardian 10,714 July 2006 Eliminating World Povertya summary of the UK Government's 2006 White Paper on International Development, setting out an action plan for the next five years. 
			 Newspaper supplement in  The Observer. This price included putting the information on a microsite on the Guardian Unlimited website; it also included 8,000 for advertorials to promote the supplement in  The Guardian. 62,275 June 2006 Reporting the progress made one year after the G8 summit in Gleneagles, with a special focus on Africa and responding to climate change.

Departments: Pressure Groups

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what meetings took place between Ministers in his Department and outside interest groups between 1 January and 31 March; and what the date was of each such meeting.

Hilary Benn: My hon. Friend the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for International Development and I met with the following outside interest groups during January to March 2007.
	
		
			  Secretary of State for International Development 
			  Date  Group 
			 9 January Portland Trust 
			 16 January SCF 
			 24 January CaritasCatholic humanitarian organisation 
			 24 January De BeersCorporate social responsibility 
			 1 February Commission of Global Road Safety 
			 1 February Global Water Partnership 
			 14 February BG Group 
			 15 February Wateraid 
			 19 February Unison 
			 19 February Palestine Solidarity Campaign 
			 27 February Oxfam 
			 1 March TUC Forum 
			 8 March PCS Union 
			 20 March Stop Aids Campaign 
			 28 March Quid Novi Ltd. 
		
	
	
		
			  Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for International Development 
			  Date  Group 
			 9 January Nitan Palan FCA 
			 11 January NGOs and Ian McCartney, MPEconomic Partnership Agreements 
			 22 January Chairman of Histadrut (Israel TUC) 
			 23 January Joyce Wood (Good Teachers) 
			 24 January Chairman of Trustees of Lady Fatemah's Trust 
			 25 January Head of Public Affairs WWF 
			 30 January Keith Darwinschools in India 
			 8 February Casa Alianza UK 
			 20 February Hugo Swire, MP and Lady NottThe Fund for Refugees in Slovenia 
			 21 February Chris Mole, MP and Tools with a Mission 
			 7 March GDI 
			 7 March Alan Milburn and Professor David KerrCancer Care in Africa 
			 15 March WWF 
			 19 March The Global Fund (to fight AIDS Tuberculosis and Malaria) 
			 28 March Commonwealth Parliamentary Association UK Branch 
			 20 March Fairtrade Foundation 
			 29 March England and Wales Cricket BoardTackling HIV/AIDS through sport

Developing Countries: Health Education

Lyn Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development 
	(1)  what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of sexual and reproductive health education programmes in post-conflict states;
	(2)  what support his Department provides to sexual and reproductive health education programmes in post-conflict states;
	(3)  what assessment he has made of the potential contribution of sexual and reproductive health education programmes towards achieving the Millennium Development Goals.

Gareth Thomas: The Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) especially those for reducing maternal and child deaths and HIV/AIDS will not be attained without progress in achieving sexual and reproductive health and rights for all.
	This view was endorsed in 2006 when the UN Secretary General recommended a new target within the MDG monitoring framework of universal access to reproductive health by 2015. An essential element in achieving this will be ensuring that women and men, including young people, have access to condoms, contraceptives, medicines and other products, and the services, information and education they need to protect their sexual and reproductive health.
	Conflict and post conflict states pose particular challenges if they are to meet the MDGs. DFID's recent White Paper Making governance work for the poor recognises that we must help people have security, incomes and public services. Effective states are central to development, so we must help countriesespecially those at risk of falling even further behind the rest of the worlddo better in ensuring security, achieving sustainable growth, and delivering health and education for all.
	To contribute to meeting the sexual and reproductive health needs of people in post-conflict states we have recently agreed a grant of 5 million to the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) for them to provide reproductive health supplies. This is in addition to our annual 20 million core grant to UNFPA.
	We also have a number of programmes we directly support in countries. For example, in Rwanda we have provided 250,000 to a project which aimed to increase public awareness and discussion of women's sexual and reproductive health issues and lead to positive changes in knowledge, beliefs, attitudes and behaviour. In Somalia, we have provided over 400,000 to a project which aims to provide free primary health care and increase the access and quality of services provided to women. Part of this programme provides reproductive health education and highlights the benefits of family planning and birth spacing for women and their children.
	The World Health Organisation (WHO) has collected evidence from developing countries on what works in preventing HIV/AIDS and sexually transmitted infections in young people. But I am not aware of specific assessments of the effectiveness of sexual and reproductive health education programmes in post-conflict states.
	However, many countries now recognise that education (especially female education) can play an important role in reducing poverty. The link between improved education and improved reproductive health and HIV prevention is also recognised and many developing countries have established or broadened reproductive health policies and programmes. However, over 200 million couples still have no access to effective contraception and 15 to 24-year-olds account for 50 per cent. of new HIV cases. In Africa, 90 per cent. of all HIV infections are sexually transmitted with women and young people disproportionately affected.
	DFID continues to give priority to supporting reproductive health and rights for women and to focus our bilateral programmes on strengthening of health systems to deliver effective information, services, and supplies. DFID is investing 1.85 million in a project evaluating the long-term impact of an adolescent sexual health intervention programme in Tanzania.

Developing Countries: Maternity Services

David Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what recent work has been undertaken by his Department to find ways of improving maternal health in countries suffering from  (a) high HIV/AIDS prevalence,  (b) military conflict,  (c) weak health systems and  (d) a combination of all three; and if he will make a statement.

Gareth Thomas: DFID's strategy Reducing Maternal Deaths: Evidence and Action provides the basis for DFID support to improve maternal health at country level. DFID's approach to achieving sustained improvements in maternal health includes work to strengthen basic health services and to ensure that there is full integration between HIV and sexual and reproductive health services and programmes. In countries where there is high HIV prevalence, military conflict and/or weak health systems the challenges to improving maternal health are particularly great.
	DFID investments are designed to address the specific needs of a country. For example in Zimbabwe the UK is investing 25 million to improve maternal and newborn health through a programme that aims to ensure full integration of HIV and maternal health services. In Malawi, DFID is providing 55 million to support an Emergency Human Resource Programme to address the acute shortage of health workers, an issue which has been compounded by the AIDS epidemic. This effort directly impacts on the Malawian health service's ability to deliver essential maternity services. In Nepal DFID's long-term support for maternal health has been adapted to ensure that it remains effective in the context of a changing political environment.

Developing Countries: Overseas Aid

Philip Hollobone: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what proportion of the UK's aid to the developing world was handled by EU institutions in the last period for which figures are available.

Hilary Benn: The proportion of the UK's aid to the developing world channelled through the EC over the last five fiscal years, for which figures are available, is set out in the following table:
	
		
			  Fiscal year  Proportion of UK aid channelled through the EC (percentage) 
			 2001-02 21.8 
			 2002-03 20.0 
			 2003-04 23.0 
			 2004-05 23.4 
			 2005-06 17.7 
		
	
	These figures are based on multilateral aid channelled through the EC.
	The breakdown of Multilateral Aid through the EC is published in Table 16 and Gross Public Expenditure on Development in Table 3 of 'Statistics on International Development 2001-022005-06', a copy of which is available in the Library.

Developing Countries: Pesticides

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what steps he is taking to reduce pesticide poisoning of those working in cotton fields in developing countries, with particular reference to child workers.

Gareth Thomas: The Department for International Development (DFID) supports a range of projects designed to reduce the risk of pesticide poisoning in the agricultural sector. For example, DFID has researched and promoted integrated pest management practices for cost-effective and sustainable control of cotton bollworm in small-scale cotton production systems in India and Uganda. These practices are currently being scaled up by the Indian Government after they resulted in both increased yields and a 52 per cent. reduction in pesticide use. DFID is a major supporter of development co-operation carried out by the European Commission. The Commission has provided around 30 million towards a 'Pesticide Initiative Programme', including projects supporting improved training for farmers in various African, Caribbean and Pacific countries. Furthermore, DFID works with both regulators and private standard setting organisations to ensure that good agricultural practice related to pesticide use is supported. These good practices include safe handling, application, storage and disposal of pesticides.
	Entering the labour force too early significantly limits young people's opportunities over their life time. Limiting their physical and intellectual development and future choices and aspirations, it helps to trap families in poverty from one generation to the next. All children have the right to education and should not have to work to survive. The Government are committed to the elimination of child labour and are working towards long-lasting changes that tackle the underlying poverty that is at the root of this problem.

Developing Countries: Pesticides

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development if he will promote measures to phase out the use of pesticides classified by the World Health Organisation as highly hazardous, with particular reference to  (a) aldicarb and  (b) endosulfan, in developing countries.

Gareth Thomas: DFID has supported a range of training, education and research projects to promote best practice in the use of pesticides in developing countries. Integrated pest management practices researched with the help of DFID have proven to be particularly useful pest control strategies that can significantly reduce or eliminate the use of pesticides. DFID has recently allocated 37.5 million over five years to help scale up some of the most promising research findings and promote their use in Africa and South Asia. DFID is a major supporter of development cooperation carried out by the European Commission and the Commission has provided around 30 million towards a 'Pesticide Initiative Programme' to improve training for farmers in various African, Caribbean and Pacific countries. There is evidence that small farmers have benefited from these projects through significant reductions in pesticide use and increased yield and income.
	DFID also promotes reduced use of hazardous chemicals and pesticides through trading standards and good agricultural practices. DFID has provided core funding for the Fairtrade Foundation which, amongst other things, works to ensure appropriate use of pesticides by 'Fairtrade' certified producers, DFID works with the private standard setting bodies such as the Euro-Retailer Produce Working Group Good Agricultural Practice (EurepGAP) to ensure their global standards are attainable and realistic in developing countries and finally, DFID supports the Standards and Trade Development Facility of the WTO to provide capacity building support to developing countries to meet international standards including those related to maximum residue levels for agricultural pesticides and chemicals.

European Civil Peace Corps

John Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what the objectives are of the European Civil Peace Corps; and what the UK's role is in the programme.

Gareth Thomas: There is no European Civil Peace Corps. The European Union carries out a wide range of civilian crisis management missions to support conflict prevention and post-conflict stabilisation. The UK has strongly supported EU activity in this area politically, financially and through the secondment of UK personnel.

European Development Fund

Tony Baldry: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development pursuant to the answer of 15 March 2007,  Official Report, column 479W, on the European Development Fund (EDF), how many countries have been suspended from the European Development Fund or had measures imposed upon them aimed at remedying a breach of the fund's conditionality since establishment of the Fourth EDF.

Gareth Thomas: The 4(th) European Development Fund (EDF) was covered by the Lom Convention which came into force in 1975. The legal basis which allows for the suspension of co-operation or the application of 'appropriate measures' did not come into force until 1995 (EDF 8).
	Since then, there have been 13 consultations under the relevant provisions of Lom and Cotonou. The countries involved were:
	Togo, Niger, Guinea-Bissau, Comoros, Cote d'Ivoire, Haiti, Fiji, Liberia, Zimbabwe, Sudan, Central African Republic, Mauritania and Guinea-Conakry.
	Consultations have generally led to the identification of agreed steps and benchmarks to be achieved for the normalisation of relations. In some cases (Haiti, Guinea-Bissau, Central African Republic) full relations and co-operation have resumed. While no country has been fully suspended from the EDF, some remain subject to the measures referred to above (Guinea, Togo, and Zimbabwe).

Gaza: Sewers

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what reports his Department has made of the recent sewage flooding in the Gaza strip.

Hilary Benn: DFID has not produced any reports on the recent sewage flooding in the Gaza Strip, but the UN Office for the Co-ordination of Humanitarian Affairs (UN-OCHA) publishes regular updates. DFID is in close contact with UN-OCHA and other agencies to establish the extent of the damage, and humanitarian and longer term needs.
	Reports indicate that the volume of waste water exceeded the capacity at the existing treatment plant, leading to the flooding. The World Bank (WB) had been working with the Palestinian Authority (PA) to build a new plant. However, restrictions imposed by Israel and the poor security situation in Gaza hindered access for experts and equipment imports. The excess sewage finally caused the supporting walls of a filtration basin to break, flooding the nearby village of Umm Nasser.
	DFID is monitoring the situation and staying in close contact with the PA, civil society and other donors regarding the relief effort. Through the Temporary International Mechanism, the European Commission (EC) is funding fuel for heavy machinery to re-establish the embankment. The European Commission Humanitarian Office (ECHO) is providing 600,000 to consolidate the embankments of the main sewage lake where there is a danger of collapse. The UK contributes about 17 per cent. of EC assistance.
	The United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) has sent 300 tents, six water tanks, blankets, mattresses and hygiene kits to the affected area. DFID is providing 15 million of core funding to UNRWA this year. NGOs and other UN organisations have identified relief supplies to provide to those affected. UN-OCHA, which is co-ordinating the humanitarian response, has told DFID that the humanitarian situation is under control. They are not requesting any assistance beyond what has already been pledged.
	The Palestinian Water Authority (PWA) and the WB met with the Government of Israel on 28 March. Israel agreed to provide free access to the area, facilitate the import of necessary equipment and provide technicians. The PWA and the WB are looking immediately to address the disaster area, including clean-up and the pumping of surplus sewage to a safe site.

India

Mark Simmonds: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what the objectives are of his Department's projects in India; and what recent assessment he has made of the extent to which they have been achieved.

Gareth Thomas: DFID India's Country Assistance Plan (CAP) 2004 to 2008 defines our objective of achieving poverty reduction in India, through:
	More integrated approaches to tackling poverty in the focus states;
	Improving the enabling environment for sustainable and equitable economic growth and
	Improving the access of poor people to better quality services.
	DFID India reviews progress across its programmes and projects in achieving the CAP objectives each year. 'An Evaluation of DFID's India Programme 2000 to 2005' was carried out by DFID's Evaluation Department and published in August 2006. The evaluation found that DFID India's overall development effectiveness is substantial and increased significantly between 2000 and 2005. For example, DFID's support to primary education through the Government of India's Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan (SSA) programme has helped to get millions of children into school and to cut drop out rates. Support to civil society in some of the poorest districts of India has also made significant headway in allowing poor and marginalised groups to realise their rights. Copies of this document can be found in the Libraries of the House. DFID India is currently preparing a new CAP.

India

Mark Simmonds: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what funding and resources his Department provided to India in each of the last three financial years; what plans there are in respect of each of the next three financial years; how much was spent  (a) bilaterally and  (b) multilaterally; and through which multilateral bodies UK aid to India has been channelled.

Gareth Thomas: DFID's portfolio in India comprises programmes at the national level and in the states of Andhra Pradesh, Orissa, West Bengal and Madhya Pradesh. In addition, we provide funding to several multilateral institutions.
	Over the last three years, DFID spent the following amounts on the aforementioned portfolio:
	
		
			   Amount spent ( million) 
			 2004-05 259 
			 2005-06 253 
			 2006-07 (1)242 
			 (1 )Estimated 
		
	
	We cannot yet state precise figures for the next three years because Her Majesty's Treasury's comprehensive spending review for DFID is underway and we have not yet received our forward aid framework. Current estimates for 2007-08 and 2008-09 are 266 million and 300 million respectively.
	DFID's entire programme in India is a bilateral aid programme. We work closely with the Government of India to make sure our poverty reduction work fits India's development needs.
	We fund some multilateral institutions in India as part of our bilateral portfolio. Our primary partners are the Asian Development Bank, the UN and the World Bank. Our trust fund arrangements with these institutions are as follows:
	
		
			  Institution   million  Period of funding 
			 Asian Development Bank 50 2002 to 2008 
			 (United Nations Development Programme) UNDP 7.5 2004 to 2008 
			 UNICEF Child Environment Fund 20 2004 to 2008 
			 UNICEF 75 2005 to 2012 
			 World Bank 20 2005 to 2008 
		
	
	In addition to its India programme, DFID also funds several multilateral institutions at the global level, many of which have programmes in India (eg the World Bank and WHO).

Kashmir: Earthquakes

Paul Rowen: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development if he will make a statement on the relief operation for the victims of the earthquake in Kashmir and Northern Pakistan.

Gareth Thomas: The Government of Pakistan (GoP) has been leading the response to the earthquake, working with a wide range of international partners, including DFID and other donors, the United Nations, and NGOs. The humanitarian relief phase, which came to an end last year, was successful in ensuring adequate provision of food, shelter and basic services to people affected by the earthquake. DFID committed 58 million to immediate relief. A DFID team conducted a follow-up mission early this January to review the humanitarian situation now, particularly to assess the effectiveness of GoP's and the United Nations' winter preparations. Our assessment concluded that winter planning was adequate. Basic services have functioned and the coping ability of most people has been restored.
	GoP is now finalising its planning for the major reconstruction season that lies ahead. Some reconstruction of individual health and education facilities, particularly through NGOs and donor agencies, is already being undertaken. However, the bulk of the work will be undertaken by GoP through its Earthquake Reconstruction and Rehabilitation Authority. This will include large programmes of new and replacement schools, health facilities, roads, water and sanitation services, telecommunications, and Government facilities.
	DFID has committed to providing 70 million for reconstruction. Of this, some 5 million has already been spent on reconstructing critical bridges, training teachers and educational administrators and on essential support to maintain TB and mental health services. A further 9 million is currently being spent on improving GoP's capacity to deal with the reconstruction. The 56 million remaining is being allocated to the Government of Pakistan in three parts for reconstruction and rehabilitation against their own annual priorities. We have just released the first allocation, of 17.5 million. This money will be used for housing and for reconstructing critical health, education and other facilities.

Orphans: Finance

Sally Keeble: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what assessment has been made of the impact of the first two years' expenditure of the funding allocated for orphans and vulnerable children.

Gareth Thomas: We are currently undertaking the interim evaluation of 'Taking Action', the UK's strategy for tackling HIV and AIDS in the developing world, which we expect to be published later this spring and which will help us assess the impact of our spending allocated for orphans and vulnerable children.

Overseas Aid: Publicity

Greg Hands: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what the cost to his Department was of the Aid Works DVD campaign.

Gareth Thomas: From February 2006 to date, the Aid Works DVD campaign cost 76,870.81, which includes the production, marketing and distribution of the DVD. The DVD aims to explain to the public, through two films 'Aid Works' and 'Making Aid Work' why it is important to give aid to poor countries and how UK taxpayers' money gets to those in most need.

Overseas Aid: Water

Mark Oaten: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how much his Department contributed to the funding of the Public Private Infrastructure Advisory Facility on water in each of the last three years; what allocation has been made to the 2007-08 budget; and if he will make a statement.

Hilary Benn: DFID has supported Public Private Infrastructure Advisory Facility (PPIAF) over three phases since 1999. Our total commitment to PPIAF from 1999 to 2008 is 53 million. Over the last three years, we have disbursed 16.8 million to PPIAF. We do not earmark our funding for specific sectors, allowing PPIAF to respond flexibly to the requests for help it receives from developing country governments.
	PPIAF reports in World Bank financial years (July to June) and in US$ dollars. Over the last three years, PPIAF as a whole has spent approximately the following in the water sector:
	2004US$ 2.7 million (1.47 million), which is 19 per cent. of total PPIAF expenditure.
	2005US$ 3.17 million (1.6 million), which is 18 per cent. of total PPIAF expenditure.
	2006US$ 3.23 million (1.6 million), which is 18 per cent. of total PPIAF expenditure.
	DFID has committed a total of 5 million to be disbursed to PPIAF for all its activities (including in water and sanitation) for 2007-08.
	The majority of developing country governments do not have the capacity to provide good quality infrastructure and services for their people; PPIAF helps them to develop sound policies, regulations and institutions. PPIAF does this by providing developing country governments with technical assistance which they can use to tap the full potential of public-private partnerships in infrastructure. PPIAF also identifies, communicates and promotes best practice on matters relating to public-private partnerships in infrastructure. It is also recognised as a leading resource for training and best practice in the role of public-private partnerships in infrastructure service delivery.
	There are many examples of PPIAF's success. For example in Kenya, PPIAF provided technical assistance and training to enable micro-credit banks to lend to small water providers to provide clean water to rural and semi-urban communities. This has led to 21 micro-credit investments and an output based grant which will result in 60,000 people gaining access to clean water.
	Also in Ghana, PPIAF supported the Ghana Community Water and Sanitation Agency with regulatory and legal reform to improve small town water services. This has allowed local water operators to provide clean water to communities for the first time. Communities themselves were involved in the selection of the water providers. This has been successfully implemented in three towns and will be rolled out to 300 small towns across the country.
	Further information about PPIAF and its successes are available in a fact sheet 'Department for International Development (DFID) Factsheet for the Public Private Infrastructure Advisory Facility (PPIAF)', which has been placed in the Library of the House.

Overseas Aid: Water

Mark Oaten: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what percentage of the Public Private Infrastructure Advisory Facility budget has been spent on  (a) private and  (b) public schemes for water supply; and if he will make a statement.

Hilary Benn: The Public Private Infrastructure Advisory Facility (PPIAF) does not separate its activities purely between public and private schemes for water supply. The realities of water services provision in developing countries are more complicated.
	PPIAF has supported 97 water sector activities with a total funding of US$ 21.6 million. These water sector activities can be divided into the following categories:
	24 activities that support developing country governments with advice on better laws, regulations and institutional structures for the improved provision of water services. These activities help build the capacity of developing country governments to improve their provision of infrastructure and other services for their citizens. Such activities include the establishment of a water regulator, the benchmarking of utilities, workshops and consultations on water sector reform. These activities amount to approximately 15 per cent. of PPIAF funding for water sector activities.
	31 activities which supported developing country governments with policy studies, which eventually led to some form of private sector participation in water services. These included small scale, local providers of water services. This amounts to approximately 33 per cent. of PPIAF funding for water sector activities.
	29 activities which supported developing country governments with policy studies, which resulted in the continuation of a public sector option for water service provision. This includes public sector performance contracts using private sector principles. This amounts to approximately 40 per cent. of PPIAF funding for water sector activities.
	Finally, 13 activities that are ongoing and where the policy option to provide water services has not been decided upon yet by the developing country governments concerned. This amounts to approximately 12 per cent. of the PPIAF funding for water sector activities.
	PPIAF is a fund supported by a number of donors including DFID. It provides advice to developing countries to ensure that their citizens get the most out of private sector involvement in infrastructure services. PPIAF achieves this by supporting governments to develop sound policies, regulations and institutions which can tap the full potential of public-private partnerships in infrastructure. It is also a leading resource for training and best practices in the role of public-private partnerships in infrastructure service delivery.
	PPIAF only provides advice to developing countries when requested to do so by their governments. For example, in Vietnam, a PPIAF supported grant assisted two small towns with the development of community-based water projects that bring affordable water to poor communities using local private operators. These projects used extensive community outreach to get 90 per cent. of the population to agree on technical, financial and cost recovery options, including tariff design. This demand driven approach is now being replicated through other donor programs and also in the Philippines and Thailand with many other prospects for replication.
	Further information on PPIAF's work can be found on their website at www.ppiaf.org

Serbia: Overseas Aid

Michael Moore: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development pursuant to the answer of 19 February 2007,  Official Report, column 287W, on Serbia: overseas, how much funding the Government provided to Serbia through international institutions in each of the last five years, broken down by  (a) the total sum provided by each institution and  (b) the UK's percentage contribution.

Gareth Thomas: Estimates of multilateral funding provided to Serbia and Montenegro (including Kosovo) and the UK's imputed share and percentage share of this funding are provided in the following three tables. Table 1 contains estimates of funding provided by multilateral institutions to Serbia and Montenegro (including) Kosovo) for each calendar year 2000 to 2004. Table 2 contains estimates of the UK's imputed share of this funding and Table 3 contains estimates of the UK's percentage share of this funding on which Table 2 imputed figures are based. The following points should be borne in mind when interpreting the tables:
	(1) UK funding to multilateral institutions cannot be directly attributed to any country; the estimates below are imputed shares based on the UK's total funding for each multilateral and that multilateral's distribution of Official Development Assistance (ODA) to Serbia and Montenegro (including Kosovo).
	(2) ODA is defined as flows administered with the promotion of economic development and welfare of developing countries as their main objective, that are concessional in character and convey a grant element of at least 25 per cent. Aid to countries on Part 1 of the Development Assistance Committee (DAC) List of Aid Recipients is eligible to be recorded as ODA. Official Aid (OA) has the same concessional and qualitative features as ODA but covers aid to countries on Part 2 of the DAC List of Recipients. (Note: From 2005 Part 2 of the DAC List of Recipients will cease to exist and aid to countries on a new combined list of DAC List of Recipients of Official Development Assistance will be eligible to be recorded as ODA)
	(3) The list of multilateral organisations in the tables is not exhaustive; the multilaterals listed are those that provide the DAC with detailed information about their distribution of funds to Serbia and Montenegro (including Kosovo) and to whom DFID provided funds over the period.
	(4) Negatives represent accounting adjustments, not a net flow to the UK; Zero figures are indicated with a dash.
	(5) The total UK share of multilateral ODA/OA to Serbia and Montenegro (including Kosovo) has been revised slightly from the figure given in the answer of 19 February 2007,  Official Report, column 287W, as a result of revisions made by the DAC to the underlying data.
	(6) Figures for 2005 will be available following publication of the DFID Departmental Report in May.
	
		
			  Table 1: Multilateral ODA/OA to Serbia and Montenegro (including Kosovo) for 2000 to 2004 
			  000 
			   2000  2001  2002  2003  2004 
			 European Bank for Reconstruction and Development  562 680 1.978 1,713 
			 Global Environment Facility 65 
			 Global Fund to Fight AIDS TB and Malaria625 720 
			 International Development Association58,300 92,758 
			 UN Development Programme 667 1.250  692 306 
			 UN Population Fund 46 1,083 1.340 606  
			 UN High Commissioner for Refugees 44,650 33.840   12,202 
			 UN Children's Fund  83 360 294 393 
			 UN Regular Programme of Technical 258 90 113 245 267 
			 World Food Programme 152 1,097 247  5 
			 European Commission 311.083 426,786  209,294 199.688 
			 Total 356.856 464,792 2.246 272.034 308.108 
		
	
	
		
			  Table 2: Imputed UK Share of Multilateral ODA/OA to Serbia and Montenegro (including Kosovo) for 2000 to 2004 
			  000 
			   2000  2001  2002  2003  2004 
			 European Bank for Reconstruction and Development  87 44 136 126 
			 Global Environment Facility 6 
			 Global Fund to Fight AIDS TB and Malaria32 47 
			 International Development Association12,889 4,029 
			 UN Development Programme 56 113  55 26 
			 UN Population Fund  197 144 62  
			 UN High Commissioner for Refugees 524 1,135   1,356 
			 UN Children's Fund  6 18 16 21 
			 UN Regular Programme of Technical Assistance 26 6 8 19 19 
			 World Food Programme 3  5  (1)0 
			 European Commission 61,159 79,766  37,924 34,985 
			 Total 161,768 81,311 209 51,133 40,617 
			 (1) In 2004, the UK share of the World Food Programme funds that went to Serbia and Montenegro was small and rounded to 0. 
		
	
	
		
			  Table 3: Imputed UK Percentage Share of Multilateral ODA/OA to Serbia and Montenegro (including Kosovo) for 2000 to 2004 
			  Percentage 
			   2000  2001  2002  2003  2004 
			 European Bank for Reconstruction and Development  15.5 6.5 6.9 7.4 
			 Global Environment Facility 9.7 
			 Global Fund to Fight AIDS TB and Malaria5.2 6.6 
			 International Development Association22.1 4.3 
			 UN Development Programme 8.4 9.0  7.9 8.4 
			 UN Population Fund  18.2 10.7 10.2  
			 UN High Commissioner for Refugees 1.2 3.4   11.1 
			 UN Children's Fund  7.5 5.1 5.4 5.5 
			 UN Regular Programme of Technical Assistance 10.1 6.6 7.0 7.9 7.2 
			 World Food Programme 2.1  1.9  -1.9 
			 European Commission 19.7 18.7  18.1 17.5

Somalia: Overseas Aid

William Hague: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what support his Department is providing to Somalia; and if he will make a statement.

Hilary Benn: pursuant to the reply, 27 February 2007, Official Report, c. 1156W
	I would like to make the following correction to a statistical error that has since been identified. The response stated that DFID's assistance to Somalia has increased from less than 2 million in 2002-03 to almost 18.75 million in 2005-06. This should have read from less than 2 million in 2001-02, instead.
	I apologise for the error in the original answer.

Sudan: Overseas Aid

Denis MacShane: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how much UK aid was allocated for Sudan in 2007, broken down by main budget heading.

Hilary Benn: The DFID budget for Sudan in 2007-08 is 110 million. Some budget line headings are still indicative and do not necessarily mark firm programme commitments. 67 million of the budget will be spent on humanitarian work, the majority of which (40 million) is to be channelled through the UN-administered Common Humanitarian Fund. The remainder of humanitarian budget will be used to support NGO programmes, mostly in Darfur. There is also a 4-5 million budget allocation for Chad to support Darfuri refugees and other vulnerable groups in the east and south of the country.
	The remaining 43 million is earmarked to support development, particularly in southern Sudan. Our main mechanism for this is the Multi-Donor Trust Fund, which will receive 17 million in 2007-08.
	At the Oslo Meeting in November 2005, we pledged 317 million ($545 million) for Sudan for the period 2005 to 2007. The UK stands to exceed its pledge for this period. Actual disbursement has been much higherwe disbursed over 290 million in 2005 and 2006 alone, and our financial commitment to Sudan has increased to 110 million in 2007. We stand ready to consider financial requirements for 2008 and beyond.

Tanzania: Overseas Aid

Tony Baldry: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what proportion of bilateral assistance to Tanzania was delivered by direct budget support in 2005-06; and what projections he has made for future delivery of direct budget support as a proportion of overall bilateral aid up to 2009-10.

Hilary Benn: The proportion of DFID bilateral assistance in Tanzania delivered as direct budget support in 2005-06 and the projections up to 2009-10 are set out in the following table ; the level of spending for 2008-09 onwards has not yet been set.
	
		
			   PRBS ( million)  Percentage of DFID programme  Status 
			 2005-06 85 76 Actuals 
			 2006-07 90 81 Projection 
			 2007-08 105 87 Projection 
			 2008-09 115 (1)  
			 2009-10 115 (1)  
			 (1) Depends on comprehensive spending review settlement 
		
	
	The figure for 2009-10 is a conservative one and may be increased depending on our spending review settlement and continued good progress in Tanzania.

Uganda

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how much financial aid his Department provided to Uganda  (a) to combat HIV and AIDS and  (b) to help develop the agriculture industry in that country, in the last 12 months.

Hilary Benn: In total DFID spent just under 8 million in 2005-06 in tackling HIV and AIDS in Uganda. This figure includes directly targeted support to HIV and AIDS related projects, together with a proportion of UK humanitarian support used by UN agencies in Northern Uganda to help prevent HIV and AIDS. The figure also includes an estimate of the proportion of the 30 million of general budget support provided by DFID to the Government of Uganda in 2005-06 which was used to provide services that address the HIV and AIDS problem.
	A significant proportion of the 30 million of general budget support provided to the Government of Uganda will also be used to help develop the agriculture industry in Uganda, for example, in delivering essential services in areas such as Agricultural Research and Extension. In addition, during 2005-06 DFID spent over 2 million on projects to develop the private sector, including agriculture, by improving business regulation, increasing access to finance and strengthening markets. DFID also spent a further half a million pounds on direct support to projects in the Rural Livelihoods sector in Uganda in 2005-06.

Written Questions

Mark Lancaster: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development when he will reply to question number 121637, on overseas aid, to Afghanistan, tabled by the hon. Member for North East Milton Keynes on 8 February.

Hilary Benn: I refer the hon. Member for North East Milton Keynes to the response I gave on 4 April 2007 (UIN 121637).

Zambia: Overseas Aid

Si�n James: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how much UK aid has been received by Zambia since 1997; what Zambia's economic debt is; and if he will make a statement.

Hilary Benn: Between the financial years of 1996-97 and 2005-06, Zambia received 662.3 million from the UK as bilateral aid. Of this amount, DFID's bilateral programme totalled 309.6 million and included financial aid, technical cooperation, humanitarian assistance and debt relief. General poverty reduction budget support also featured in financial years 2000-01, 2004-05 and 2005-06. Aid from other (non-DFID) UK official sources amounted to 352.7 million and includes CDC Group (originally known as Colonial Development Cooperation) investments, non-DFID debt relief and contributions from the British Council among other items. Table 1 provides further details on UK bilateral aid to Zambia over the past decade.
	Between 1996 and 2004, Zambia also received an estimated 128.7 million through UK contributions to multilateral institutions such as the European Commission, United Nations and World Bank.
	Zambia has benefited from substantial external debt relief in recent years. Following the attainment of the Heavily Indebted Poor Countries Completion Point in April 2005 and implementation of the Multilateral Debt Relief Initiative (MDRI) in 2006, Zambia's external debt stock has declined from US$ 7.1 billion in 2004 to approximately US$ 0.5 billion in nominal terms at year-end 2006. As a result, the net present value of debt to GDP ratio has fallen from around 28 per cent. in 2004 to 4 per cent. following the MDRI. At the end of 2006, domestic debt was estimated at $1.74 billion some 20.2 per cent. as a share of GDP in 2006.
	Zambia is currently in the process of drafting a debt management strategy to avoid relapsing into an unsustainable debt situation. The UK strongly welcomes the good progress being made in this area.
	
		
			  Table 1: UK Bilateral Aid to Zambia 
			   
			  Financial Year  General Poverty Reduction Budget Support  Other Financial Aid  Technical Cooperation  Grants and Other Aid in Kind  Humanitarian Assistance 
			 1996-97  3,200,460 7,031,160 3,760,561  
			 1997-98  2,837,825 7,012,721 3,199,013  
			 1998-99  2,525,380 5,620,201 3,536,130 284,077 
			 1999-2000  1,051,284 5,157,360 4,983,230 266,053 
			 2000-01 15,000,014 25,895,749 5,367,947 6,595,293 388,184 
			 2001-02  32,499,895 4,467,724 4,792,960 217,711 
			 2002-03  17,038,809 6,084,034 8,690,280 6,407,759 
			 2003-04  14,951,846 5,521,455 4,612,986 1,279,151 
			 2004-05 9,000,000 11,720,117 4,894,246 3,670,354 398,296 
			 2005-06 20,700,000 11,125,069 4,574,717 4,615,373 4,552,220 
		
	
	
		
			   
			  Financial Year  Debt Relief  Total DFID Bilateral Programme  Aid from other UK Official Sources  Total Bilateral Gross Public Expenditure 
			 1996-97 3,280,942 17,273,123 23,130,000 40,403,123 
			 1997-98 2,975,000 16,024,559 30,558,400 46,582,959 
			 1998-99 2,867,453 14,833,240 18,704,229 33,537,469 
			 1999-2000 2,816,469 14,274,396 32,383,000 46,657,396 
			 2000-01 2,735,485 55,982,672 37,362,000 93,344,672 
			 2001-02 2,714,501 44,692,790 14,510,000 59,202,790 
			 2002-03 2,660,717 40,881,599 4,256,000 45,137,599 
			 2003-04 1,154,732 27,520,170 4,747,000 32,267,170 
			 2004-05 871,788 30,554,801 132,952,000 163,506,801 
			 2005-06 2,036,713 47,604,092 54,088,089 101,692,181 
			  Notes:  1. No Sector Poverty Reduction Budget Support was provided between financial years 1996-97 and 2005-06.  2. Aid from other UK official sources includes CDC investments, non-DFID debt relief and contributions from the British Council among other items.

Zambia: Paediatrics

Si�n James: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what recent assessment his Department has made of access to healthcare for children in Zambia; and if he will make a statement.

Hilary Benn: DFID works with other bilateral and multilateral partners to support the Government of Zambia in making its own assessments of healthcare.
	These assessments show that:
	Immunisation coverage is increasing (defined as fully immunised by age 1) and has risen from 80 per cent. in 2004 to 87 per cent. in 2006.(1)
	The prevalence of underweight children is also declining. 17 per cent. of children were defined as underweight in 2004, but in 2006 this had fallen to 14 per cent.(2)
	Infant mortality (deaths under the age of one) has seen a decline from 109 per 1,000 in 1996, to 95 per 1000 in 2002.(3)
	Child mortality (deaths under the age of five) has also seen a decline from 197 per 1000 in 1996, to 168 per 1000 in 2002.(4)
	Access to AIDS treatment (antiretroviral drugs) for children has also increased, with 7,500 children currently on treatment. This represents 10 per cent. of all those on AIDS treatment in Zambia today. The Zambian Government's goal is that 15 per cent. of all those on antiretroviral treatment should be children.(5)
	 Sources:
	(1) Zambia's Health Management Information System - Ministry of Health 2007.
	(2) Zambia's Health Management Information System - Ministry of Health 2007
	(3) Demographic and Health Survey 1996 and 2002
	(4) Demographic and Health Survey 1996 and 2002
	(5) UNAIDS 2007

DEFENCE

Afghanistan

David Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence pursuant to the answer of 8 February 2007,  Official Report, columns 1070-71W, on Afghanistan, what the Government's response has been to each urgent operational requirement request from forces in Afghanistan since January 2006; and if he will make a statement.

Adam Ingram: As a general rule, once an urgent statement of user requirement has been endorsed by the military chain of command and is therefore progressed as an urgent operational requirement (UOR), a business case is drafted and, subject to scrutiny, approved, and the equipment procured and delivered to theatre.
	There are some cases where UORs are not progressed in this way, for example when it is decided that the equipment required can be provided from in-service stocks, or if the capability gap can be filled by using existing equipment in a new way. Alternatively, as the situation on the ground can change so rapidly, the military chain of command may re-assess the requirement.
	As the operations in Iraq and Afghanistan are still ongoing, detailed information regarding specific UORs remains operationally sensitive, and its release would, or would be likely to, prejudice the security of our armed forces.

Afghanistan

Chris Mullin: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence pursuant to the answer of 5 March 2007,  Official Report, column 1646W on Afghanistan, how many people died in the incident at Panjwayi.

Des Browne: The joint ISAF-ANA report on the incident in Panjwayi on 24-25 October 2006 estimated the number of civilians killed in the incident to be around 30. The loss of innocent lives is a tragedy and ISAF and coalition forces seek at all times to avoid civilian casualties.

Afghanistan: Force Levels

Mark Harper: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence pursuant to his oral statement of 26 February 2007,  Official Report, column 625, on Afghanistan (force levels), what his definition is of the long term; and what steps he is taking to mitigate against potential damage to the armed forces of current operational tempo.

Des Browne: Our current planning priority is to see through our commitments in Iraq and Afghanistan. The level of operational deployments is reducing and we judge that it will return to within the level assumed in our planning assumptions. Some of the measures to reduce the burden on personnel include: reducing the level of non-operational tasking; regularly reviewing the scale and mix of personnel deployed; increasing recruitment and training; and providing financial and non-financial incentives for retention.

Afghanistan: Peace Keeping Operations

Ann Winterton: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence 
	(1)  if he will take steps to bring the standard of base protection in Iraqi bases occupied by British troops up to the level of that maintained at Kandahar air base in Afghanistan; and if he will make a statement;
	(2)  if he will publish on his Department's website information on the techniques employed at  (a) Basra air station and  (b) other bases in Iraq occupied by British personnel along the lines of the information available on the base protection techniques at Kandahar air base.

Adam Ingram: The threat faced by British troops at the NATO base at Kandahar air station is very different to that faced by British troops in bases within Iraq. Therefore the protection measures employed will be different at each base but will be appropriate to the threat. An audit of the force protection measures at bases in Basra has taken place recently and work is ongoing to build on the measures that are already in use.
	The information on the Department's website is reviewed periodically and appropriate information, which will not compromise operational security, will continue to be placed on the website with respect to UK military operations.

Afghanistan: Peace Keeping Operations

Ann Winterton: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will bring the standard of base protection at Camp Bastion to the level of that maintained at Kandahar air base.

Adam Ingram: The standard of force protection at all UK bases in Afghanistan is appropriate to the threat level in each area.

Afghanistan: Peace Keeping Operations

Gerald Howarth: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many personnel of HM Forces have  (a) lost their lives and  (b) been wounded as a result of land mines in Afghanistan since the beginning of operations in 2002.

Adam Ingram: Since the beginning of operations in Afghanistan, three UK fatalities have been confirmed as being caused by land mines. Since March 2006, some information has been gathered regarding the number of personnel wounded by land mines. It is estimated that since this date approximately 16 military personnel have been wounded as a result of land mines; however, this figure may not be entirely reliable because some very minor injuries may not be reported, and because it is not always possible to ascertain whether an incident is caused by a land mine or an Improvised Explosive Device (IED).

Afghanistan: Peace Keeping Operations

Gerald Howarth: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether he considers HM Forces in Afghanistan to be on a non-warfighting operation.

Adam Ingram: HM forces in Afghanistan are there as part of a peace-enforcement operation. However, the character of any particular campaign is rarely static and its intensity can vary over time. This requires UK forces to conduct a wide range of military activities concurrently, and transition quickly from one type of operation to another. This is evident in the way in which UK forces are involved in frequent engagements with the Taliban while simultaneously assisting in reconstruction activities. Nevertheless, the aims of the ISAF mission remain to stabilise the security environment so that the Provincial Reconstruction Team and other agencies can operate to extend the Government's authority, to improve the rule of law, and to facilitate reconstruction and development, particularly by supporting capacity-building in the security sector.

Afghanistan: Peace Keeping Operations

Gerald Howarth: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what estimate he has made of the number of land mines in Afghanistan; and what plans there are for their removal.

Adam Ingram: Unofficial estimates of the number of land mines in Afghanistan vary between 5 million and 7 million and the most recent land mine impact survey identified some 715 square kilometres of hazardous areas. There are numerous mine action programmes under way in Afghanistan with some 9,500 Afghans working for organisations coordinated by the UN Mine Action Programme of Afghanistan.

Afghanistan: Peace Keeping Operations

Douglas Carswell: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the reasons were for the decision to take the 51 mm mortar out of service in Afghanistan; and if he will make a statement.

Adam Ingram: The 51 mm mortar is in service in Afghanistan but is approaching its planned out of service date across the armed forces. Ammunition stocks have been prioritised in order to continue to support its use in Afghanistan. The capability provided by the 51 mm mortar will be replaced by a combination of systems including the 40 mm Underslung Grenade Launcher and rocket hand-fired illumination and smoke rounds. In Afghanistan, this capability is being augmented by a purchase of a more modern and supportable 60 mm mortar.

Afghanistan: Peace Keeping Operations

Douglas Carswell: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what recent  (a) representations he has had on and  (b) assessment he has made of the availability of Viper thermal imaging sets for British troops in Afghanistan; and if he will make a statement.

Adam Ingram: VIPIR thermal imagery is in use in Afghanistan on a variety of weapons and vehicles, and the number deployed is being increased following a review of equipment requirements.

Afghanistan: Peace Keeping Operations

Douglas Carswell: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many Tristars are available to serve the supply link between the UK and Afghanistan; and if he will make a statement.

Adam Ingram: There are four return Tristar flights per week on the airbridge to Afghanistan. This requirement is met by one aircraft plus one reserve. Only Tristars that are fitted with defensive measures fly the Afghanistan airbridge. The majority of RAF Tristars are now fitted with defensive measures.

Afghanistan: Peace Keeping Operations

Douglas Carswell: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what assessment he has made of the reliability of the Tristar fleet in making flights between the UK and Afghanistan.

Adam Ingram: Operational reliability is assessed by the numbers of aircraft that are deemed as fit for purpose (FFP) against the planned average FFP figure. Aircraft are deemed fit for purpose if they are capable of undertaking the required task on a given day. Aircraft are not available for tasking if they are undergoing scheduled maintenance, modification programmes or any unforeseen rectification work that can arise .on a day to day basis. The figures do not reflect the fact that an aircraft assessed as not fit for purpose may be returned to the front line at very short notice to meet the operational need. The planned average FFP for the Tristar aircraft for 2006-07 is 4.8 aircraft per day. As at the end of February 2007 we have achieved a FFP figure of 4.62 aircraft per day for the same period, largely owing to the ongoing programme to fit defensive measures to the Tristar.

Afghanistan: Peace Keeping Operations

Douglas Carswell: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what percentage of Tristar flights  (a) to and  (b) from Afghanistan were delayed for (i) aircraft maintenance and (ii) other reasons in the last period for which figures are available.

Adam Ingram: For the period 1 December 2006 to 28 February 2007 the following percentage of flights have been delayed
	
		
			  Percentage 
			   UK to Afghanistan  Afghanistan to UK 
			 Aircraft maintenance 7 4 
			 Other 17 24 
		
	
	The other reasons for delays include adverse weather and air traffic delays. The percentage delayed for other reasons is higher for the return leg as this figure includes delay due to the knock-on effect of the late arrival of the inbound aircraft to theatre.

Afghanistan: Peace Keeping Operations

Douglas Carswell: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether the UK deployment of Apache helicopters to Afghanistan has been affected by technical problems; and if he will make a statement.

Adam Ingram: While any aircraft will require routine maintenance during deployment, the Apache has not been affected by significant technical problems. Apaches on Operation Herrick are receiving top priority for spare parts and maintenance, and are in fact delivering more flying hours than asked for. The Apache has successfully delivered on the tasks that it has undertaken, and reports from theatre have been very positive about this capability.

Afghanistan: Peace Keeping Operations

Douglas Carswell: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence 
	(1)  what percentage of the UK's Apache helicopter fleet is available to UK forces in Afghanistan;
	(2)  whether UK Apache helicopters in Afghanistan are being maintained by the cannibalising of spare parts from helicopters in the UK.

Adam Ingram: At present 19 per cent. of the UK's Apache helicopter fleet is available to UK forces in Afghanistan. This meets the number required for full operational capability.
	It has occasionally been necessary to cannibalise aircraft in the Depth Sustainment Fleet in the UK to satisfy high priority demands for deployed UK Apache helicopters. It is possible that Apache in Afghanistan may have been maintained using cannibalised parts, from aircraft going back to the Apache Depth Pulse line maintenance system at Wattisham, though this is not a frequent practice.

Afghanistan: Peace Keeping Operations

Jennifer Willott: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many soldiers from Welsh regiments are  (a) serving in and  (b) soon to leave for Afghanistan; and if he will make a statement.

Adam Ingram: Currently there are no Welsh regiments, or elements thereof, deployed in Afghanistan. At any given time, however, there will be a number of individual augmentees on operations, including those in Afghanistan. These may include a number from Welsh regiments.
	In total some 170 soldiers from Welsh regiments will be included in the next roulement to Afghanistan.

Afghanistan: Peace Keeping Operations

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence when he expects the Board of Inquiry into the loss of Hercules XV206 in Afghanistan to complete its investigation; when he plans to publish the findings; and if he will make a statement.

Adam Ingram: I refer the hon. Gentleman to the answer I gave on 7 March 2007,  Official Report, column 1979W.

Afghanistan: Peace Keeping Operations

Sarah Teather: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many  (a) 16,  (b) 17 and  (c) 18-year-olds have served in Afghanistan.

Derek Twigg: Data on the age of service personnel deployed on operations are not held centrally.
	Provisional estimates collated from manual records show that no 16 or 17-year-old personnel have been deployed to Afghanistan since the 'Optional Protocol to the Convention on the rights of the child on the involvement of children in armed conflict' was ratified on 24 June 2003.
	New administrative guidelines and procedures have been introduced by each of the services following the ratification of the Optional Protocol to ensure that under 18 year old personnel are not deployed to areas where hostilities are taking place unless there is a clear operational requirement for them to do so.
	Figures on those aged 18 cannot be collated without incurring disproportionate cost.

Air Force: Calendars

Mark Harper: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence by what date the distribution of the 2007 Royal Air Force desktop calendar was complete.

Derek Twigg: Bulk delivery of the Royal Air Force desktop calendar to Members of Parliament was made by the Defence Storage Distribution Agency (DSDA) at Llangennech. All stocks intended for delivery to the House of Commons were despatched by DSDA Llangennech on 20 November 2006. In accordance with House of Commons bulk mail procedures the consignment was addressed to House of Commons, 1 Cannon Row, London, SW1A 2JN, and it was anticipated that the consignment would have been received by 26 November 2006. Each calendar packet was individually pre-addressed to MPs to facilitate speedy delivery by the House of Commons mail system.

Aircraft Carriers

Claire Curtis-Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether he expects any naval bases other than Portsmouth to be able to accommodate the Royal Navy's future carriers.

Adam Ingram: In addition to Portsmouth, Faslane could accommodate the Royal Navy's Future Aircraft Carriers, subject to changes in infrastructure.

Aircraft Carriers: Procurement

Laurence Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what plans he has to commission new naval aircraft carriers; when he expects the carriers to be in service; and if he will make a statement.

Adam Ingram: I refer the hon. Gentleman to the answer I gave on 17 October 2006,  Official Report, column 326W, to the hon. Member for Shrewsbury and Atcham (Daniel Kawczynski).

Animal Experiments

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence pursuant to the Answer of 7 March 2007,  Official Report, column 1979W, on animal experiments, what the qualifications are of those who will decide whether to continue the experiments involving live goats.

Adam Ingram: The members of the team reviewing the need for further use of goats in this research programme are yet to be formally appointed. I shall write to the hon. Gentleman to detail their qualifications as soon as the information is available.

Armed Forces: Children

Jo Swinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will place in the Library a copy of the document Provision of Childcare provided to HM armed forces recruits.

Derek Twigg: I have placed a copy of guidance entitled The Provision of Childcare in the Library. This is taken from the Army Recruiting Group Instructions Chapter 11, Section 1, Paragraphs 50-55 and is used by the Army Recruiting Group when questions on children and family matters are raised.
	Information on this issue is also provided to recruits. I have placed a copy of the RN guidance on child care for recruits taken from BR689, Section 4 Chapter 4 and a copy of the supplementary information provided by the Army to applicants who have dependants. The relevant RAF publication is undergoing review.

Armed Forces: Children

Jo Swinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what guidance is issued to potential HM armed forces recruits with dependent children.

Derek Twigg: Candidates wishing to make an application for armed forces employment are required to complete the application form 'AFCO Form 4'. Before completing AFCO Form 4, all potential recruits are required to read the application form information and guidance booklet, 'AFCO Form 5'. This form provides initial guidance to applicants with dependants:
	2.2 Dependants. The Armed Forces will require you to serve away from your home, at times for extended periods, and the Service you are applying for needs to be assured that your domestic arrangements will not prevent you from doing this. If you are married, and/or have children and/or family members dependant upon you then certain conditions apply. The Armed Forces Careers Adviser will provide you with the appropriate information. This includes Volunteer Reserve Service training and/or mobilisation for the Reserve Forces.
	During the selection interview, recruiting staff ensure that applicants are fully aware of their service obligations. Applicants with dependant responsibilities and/or those who ask questions on any concerns raised are then given further written guidance detailing their responsibilities with regard to child care arrangements. Once applicants have confirmed they understand their obligations and have demonstrated they have considered child care and would have sufficient cover during period of absence, the selection process is allowed to continue.

Armed Forces: Council Tax

Mark Harper: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what recent discussions his Department has had with  (a) the Department for Communities and Local Government and  (b) the Scottish Executive on the proposed exemption of members of the armed forces serving overseas from paying council tax; when these discussions took place; what assessment the Government have made of the cost of such a scheme; and if he will make a statement.

Derek Twigg: I met my hon. Friend the Minister of State for Local Government on 13 March to discuss a number of options on how best to provide support for the council tax costs of service personnel deployed on operations; these options are being further explored. Officials from the Ministry of Defence and the Department for Communities and Local Government have kept the devolved Administrations informed of progress on this issue.

Armed Forces: Deployment

Nick Harvey: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many soldiers are serving on S-type engagements.

Derek Twigg: As at 22 March 2007 there were 1,099 soldiers serving on an S-type engagement.

Armed Forces: Desertion

Mark Harper: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what definition is used to determine whether British service personnel are absent without leave.

Derek Twigg: holding answer 29 March 2007
	An absentee is the term applied to a person subject to military law who absents himself from the place at which his duty requires him to be, without leave to do so. Service personnel are found to be culpable of absence without leave if the absence was due to the deliberate intention of the accused to be absent or if it was caused by circumstances which were within his own control.

Armed Forces: Discharges

Nick Harvey: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many soldiers were subject to a manning control review and were discharged at manning control point in each of the last five years, broken down by regiment.

Derek Twigg: I refer the hon. Gentleman to the answers given on 27 November 2002,  Official Report, column 333W, and 3 March 2004,  Official Report, column 961W.
	There have been no discharges as a result of manning control point review since April 2002.

Armed Forces: Discharges

Nick Harvey: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many soldiers who were subject to a manning control review and were subsequently transferred to the S-type engagements were discharged at the end of their S-type engagements in each of the last five years, broken down by regiment; and under what Queen's Regulations they were discharged.

Derek Twigg: The total number is 84. This is broken down as follows:
	
		
			  Discharged under Queen's Regulations paragraph 9.393: having completed engagement 
			   Number 
			 2002 9 
			 2003 8 
			 2004 (1) 
			 2005 (1) 
			 2006 6 
		
	
	
		
			  Discharged under Queen's Regulations paragraph 9.387: permanently medically unfit 
			   Number 
			 2002 (1) 
			 2003 6 
			 2004 0 
			 2005 5 
			 2006 6 
		
	
	
		
			  Discharged under Queen's Regulations Paragraph 9.374: purchase to A reserve 
			   Number 
			 2002 7 
			 2003 (1) 
			 2004 (1) 
			 2005 (1) 
			 2006 (1) 
		
	
	
		
			  Others 
			   Number 
			 2002 7 
			 2003 (1) 
			 2004 (1) 
			 2005 (1) 
			 2006 (1) 
			 (1) Due to the low numbers involved this information is not broken down further where the figure is less than five or by Regiment, because this could identify individuals and breach disclosure and confidentiality policy.

Armed Forces: Health Services

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence which facilities are currently treating service personnel who have been injured in action and have subsequently returned to the UK; and what specialisms are provided for at those facilities.

Derek Twigg: Military personnel who sustain a serious physical injury on operations overseas are most commonly received initially at Selly Oak Hospital, part of the University Hospital Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust (UHBFT), which is a centre of excellence in the medical care of the types of injuries our people most often sustain. Here we are able to provide patients who need it with the advanced specialist clinical care required in the initial stages of their treatment.
	Patients with serious orthopaedic/trauma injuries may be housed on the military-managed ward at Selly Oak, where these injuries can be treated. But those with other injuries (such as burns or neurological trauma) may be housed on other specialist wards where they can receive the first-class care they require. This may be at Selly Oak, or if appropriate another NHS facility such as the Queen Elizabeth hospital.
	Patients who either do not require inpatient hospital treatment, or who require further rehabilitation care following initial treatment, may be referred to the Defence Medical Rehabilitation Centre (DMRC) at Headley Court in Surrey. DMRC is the principal medical rehabilitation centre run by the armed forces and contains the Complex Rehabilitation and Amputee Unit (CRAU) and a Regional Rehabilitation Unit (RRU). DMRC provides both physiotherapy and group rehabilitation for complex musculo-skeletal injuries, plus neuro-rehabilitation for brain-injured patients. The CRAU, based within DMRC, provides high quality prosthetics and adaptations, manufactured on site and individually tailored as necessary for the specific patient. Priority is given to the provision of prosthetics to enable service personnel to resume service duties.
	Personnel with less serious musculo-skeletal injuries may also be referred to one of MOD's 15 Regional Rehabilitation Units (RRU) in the UK plus Germany, which provide accessible, regionally-based assessment and treatment, including physiotherapy and group rehabilitation facilities. Each RRU has a Multidisciplinary Injury Assessment Clinic (MIAC) team comprising a doctor with specialist skills in sports medicine, a physiotherapist with enhanced skills and a remedial instructor (physical education instructor trained to deliver individual and group therapy), who together provide an assessment and diagnostic service. This team have rapid access to MRI scan or other imaging if required. They then determine the most appropriate rehabilitation plan for the patient, including rapid access to orthopaedic surgery when clinically indicated.
	Very occasionally the most seriously injured patients will require specialised care and treatment that can best be provided outside the NHS or MOD's own facilities. One example is neurological injury, where the best specialist treatment can often be provided by organisations such as the Royal Hospital for Neuro-disability at Putney, which is a national centre of expertise in its particular field.
	We also provide treatment for psychological as well as physical injuries. Mental health services in the UK are delivered through a combination of community-based outpatient care and local inpatient treatment through the Priory Group of hospitals. MOD runs its own 15 Departments of Community Mental Health situated around the UK, with others based in Germany, Cyprus and Gibraltar. Their teams comprise psychiatrists, mental health nurses, clinical psychologists and mental health social workers. The full range of psychiatric and psychological treatments is available, including medication, psychological therapies and environmental adjustment where appropriate. The Defence Mental Health Services have particular expertise in psychological treatments for mental health problems in general, and psychological injury in particular, using such treatments as Cognitive Behaviour Therapy (CBT) and Eye Movement Desensitisation and Reprocessing (EMDR).

Armed Forces: Health Services

Nicholas Soames: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence by what process the support of military, Government, charitable and civilian efforts to assist wounded servicemen and women is integrated.

Derek Twigg: holding answer 19 March 2007
	The key factor in the Government's duty of care towards the members of the armed forces is ensuring they receive high quality medical care, both while deployed on operations and back in the UK. This can range from life-saving surgeryboth in our deployed field hospitals and NHS facilities in the UKto treatment of routine ailments on a daily basis.
	At a pan-Government level the MOD works with the Department of Health and with other UK health departments to agree policy and improvements in communication.
	Most primary care of military personnel is provided at unit level by members of the Defence Medical Services (DMS). For physical illness or injury, MOD has its own rehabilitation facilities, with secondary care in the form of hospital treatment in the UK provided by NHS hospital trusts. This is the most effective way of enabling military patients to benefit from the latest advances in medical treatment and the recent major investments in NHS facilities. Casualties from overseas are referred usually to the University Hospital Birmingham Foundation Trust (UHBFT), which leads the way in the UK for the acute care of patients with complex traumatic injuries of the types suffered by our personnel on operations.
	Care for the vast majority of service personnel with mental illness is provided at one of our 15 military Departments of Community Mental Health (DCMH) in the UK and equivalents overseas. This gives our patients access to high quality care, providing regional care within easy reach of unit, base or home. For those few that require inpatient mental health care a contract has been established with the Priory to provide high quality regional care. Close liaison takes place between the Priory and the DCMH. Furthermore the MOD has recently introduced the Reserves Mental Health Programme, which is improving the overall health care we offer to recently demobilised reservists. Information is available by visiting http://www.army.mod.uk/rtmc/rmhp.htm or concerned individual reservists or their GPs can contact a free phone number.
	Wider support to injured personnel and their families is provided by a range of organisations, often at regimental and unit level. The main central provider of hospital welfare services is the Defence Medical Welfare Service (DMWS), which is contracted by the MOD to provide welfare support to service personnel and entitled civilians who are in hospital in the UK, Germany, Cyprus and on deployed operations. Patients are informed about other appropriate welfare agencies. These include the single service welfare services as well as service charities such as SSAFA, St. Dunstan's, Combat Stress, Royal British Legion, etc. and we are grateful for their support.
	The single services operate long-term sick policies and welfare procedures for patients discharged from hospital. Each of the single services tracks its own patients and coordinates welfare support, which includes drawing on the support provided by service charitable organisations such as SSAFA and individual regimental charities. Families are assigned a visiting officer who acts as the link between the family and the services, and will also direct the family to the most appropriate internal and external welfare agencies for specific areas of support.
	There is long-standing policy that the NHS, not MOD, provides care for ex-service personnel. However, the MOD funds courses of care at facilities run by the mental health charity Combat Stress, for those whose conditions are due to service and for whom this is an appropriate course. These procedures are under constant review to ensure that the support provided meets the needs of the recipients.
	The Department routinely meets the various governmental and non-governmental organisations described above to ensure an integrated approach to care.

Armed Forces: Health Services

Peter Bone: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement on the adequacy of medical care for injured service personnel.

Derek Twigg: Injured service personnel receive an overall excellent standard of medical care. Serious cases require access to a broad range of skills only available in a NHS specialist trauma centre. This is provided by University Hospital Birmingham Foundation Trust for casualties from overseas. Subsequently, the seriously injured are frequently referred to the Defence Medical Rehabilitation Centre at Headley Court, offering world class rehabilitation care tailored to the specific needs of the patient. Patients with less serious musculo-skeletal injuries are normally referred to one of our 15 regional rehabilitation units in the UK and overseas.
	Mental health services in the UK are delivered through a combination of military community-based out-patient care supporting local in-patient treatment through the Priory Group of hospitals. MOD runs its own 15 Departments of Community Mental Health situated in the UK and overseas. The full range of psychiatric and psychological treatments is available, and where necessary, in-patient facilities are provided by the Priory Group.

Armed Forces: Housing

Nick Harvey: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many complaints Modern Housing Solutions received in the last 12 months.

Derek Twigg: Between 21 March 2006 and 21 March 2007 Modern Housing Solutions (MHS) received 8,779 complaints, which range from missed appointments through to noise levels and problems with vehicle parking.
	In recent months the number of complaints has fallen considerably given the improved service now being provided. In the first three months of the MHS contract, 3,091 complaints were received. Since the beginning of January until 21 March, 1,621 complaints were received.

Armed Forces: Housing

Nick Harvey: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many accidents have been reported due to faulty Modern Housing Solutions property in the last 12 months, broken down by type of property.

Derek Twigg: During the last 12 months a total of 13 accidents and/or incidents involving occupants in properties maintained by Modern Housing Solutions have been reported. Of these, two have a proven causal link to housing defects.

Armed Forces: Housing

Nick Harvey: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many service quarters were adapted for special needs dependants in the latest period for which figures are available; and what the cost was of such adaptations.

Derek Twigg: There are 125 applications that have been completed, or are in the process of being completed, for special needs adaptations in service families accommodation in the last year. The cost of these adaptations is 467,126.59.

Armed Forces: Israel

Chris Mullin: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many British troops are training in Israel; and if he will make a statement.

Adam Ingram: Currently, there are no British troops undergoing training in Israel.

Armed Forces: Northern Ireland

Philip Hollobone: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will take steps to reduce troop levels in Northern Ireland.

Adam Ingram: On 28 March 2006,  Official Report, column 55WS, I announced a structured plan for the phased reduction of troops to peacetime levels in Northern Ireland, a copy of which is available in the Library of the House. Under that plan, by the end of July this year, there will be no more than 5,000 military personnel based in Northern Ireland and units based in Northern Ireland in the future will be deployable worldwide to meet the Government's global defence commitments.

Armed Forces: Pay

Mark Harper: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what estimate he has made of the number of pay errors the Army expects to encounter when the joint personnel administration goes live.

Derek Twigg: holding answer 26 March 2007
	Data migration for Army personnel has been a challenge due to the sheer volume concerned and the age and diversity of the legacy systems involved. The current estimate is that the proportion of personnel who will experience a variance in basic pay in the first month of transition will be between 0.5 per cent. and 3 per cent. This incorporates Army and RAF reserves, as well as regular Army. For specialist pay the proportion is expected to be between 4 per cent. and 8 per cent. Work between now and the first live pay run in April is expected to result in the variances being at the lower end of the estimates range. In cases of mismatch of either basic pay or specialist pay the individuals affected will be notified by the Army in advance and where necessary local payments will be made to ensure hardship is not an issue. Action will be taken to inform the May pay run.

Armed Forces: Pay

Mark Harper: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what contingency plans his Department has put in place to deal with any errors made when the Army has its first pay run under the new joint personnel administration in April.

Derek Twigg: Contingency planning has included a number of dummy pay runs during April to check and confirm the status of pay accounts ahead of the first live Army pay run. A further supplementary pay run scheduled for 27 April 2007 will be used to address any significant issues identified in the initial pay runs.
	An Army team is embedded within the Service Personnel and Veterans Agency (SPVA) to assist with the resolution of issues and their communication. For those serving on operations a fast track process exists to escalate any urgent pay issues directly to the SPVA joint personnel administration operations room. A process is also in place to make emergency payments in cash at unit level if necessary.
	The SPVA has developed disaster recovery plans and business continuity plans to mitigate the risk of a full system failure.

Armed Forces: Pay

Mark Harper: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what discussions his Department has had with the Treasury regarding the long service advance of pay.

Derek Twigg: Ministers and officials in both the Treasury and the Ministry of Defence have regular discussions on a range of matters relating to the terms and conditions of service, including pay and allowances, for service personnel.

Armed Forces: Pay

Mark Harper: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what progress has been made in the roll-out of joint personnel administration to the Army; and if he will make a statement.

Derek Twigg: holding answer 19 March 2007
	Good progress has been made with the successful initial roll-out of Joint Personnel Administration (JPA) to the Army being achieved as planned at the end of March. A number of essential post go-live consolidation and preparation activities are currently under way, to ready the system introduction of self-service users.
	As planned, roll-out to self-service users will be phased and will be completed by 31 July. E-learning packages have been provided to self-service users and instructor-led training has been given to unit administration staff. The first JPA pay run for the Army is scheduled for payment at the end of April. The Army is prepared for JPA and has put processes in place to ensure that a service individual or their family will not be placed in difficulty in the event of any teething problems with the large and complex transition to JPA.

Armed Forces: Public Perception

Mark Harper: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what steps his Department takes to assess public perception of the armed forces; and if he will make a statement.

Derek Twigg: It is important to the MOD that we hear people's views on defence matters. This helps to inform our policies and keep us in tune with public thinking and concerns. We carry out occasional public opinion research to this end.
	Results from our central corporate research on public attitudes to defence, commissioned by our Corporate Communications division, are published on our website and included in the reputation section of our annual performance report and accounts. Other parts of the Departmentparticularly the service recruiting organisationsalso conduct occasional public research in support of their business objectives.

Armed Forces: Personnel's Perception

Mark Harper: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what recent assessment his Department has made of armed forces personnel's perceptions of  (a) the calibre, capability and quality of military equipment and  (b) working patterns and pressures of service in the armed forces; and if he will make a statement.

Adam Ingram: These issues are covered in the armed forces continuous attitude surveys, copies of which are available in the Library of the House. The latest continuous attitude surveys are expected to be published and placed in the Library of the House in May.

Armed Forces: Rules of Engagement

Ann Winterton: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence who is responsible for  (a) drawing up and  (b) agreeing rules of engagement under which British armed forces serve; and whether the rules of engagement are the same in Afghanistan and Iraq.

Des Browne: Responsibility for drawing up rules of engagement rests jointly with Ministry of Defence operational, policy and legal personnel. Individual rules of engagement are drawn up for each theatre of operation to ensure that they reflect the specific circumstances faced by UK troops in each theatre and the objectives they seek to achieve. Ministers approve all rules of engagement.

Armed Forces: Rules of Engagement

Ann Winterton: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence 
	(1)  whether the rules of engagement have changed in respect of contact with Iranian forces following the recent abduction by Iran of 15 Royal Navy personnel;
	(2)  whether the rules of engagement in Iraq have been changed to permit artillery fire against indirect mortar and rocket fire.

Des Browne: In order to safeguard the security of our armed forces on operations, it is Ministry of Defence policy not to comment on specific operational profiles or the rules therein.

Armed Forces: Selly Oak Hospital

Lynne Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what surveys have been carried out among injured service personnel treated at Selly Oak hospital to ascertain their views on the quality of the care and treatment they received; and if he will make a statement.

Derek Twigg: The Royal Centre for Defence Medicine is undertaking a pilot military patient survey of military patients over the period up to the end of June. The survey covers military in-patients treated at hospitals of the University Hospitals Birmingham Foundation Trust, including Selly Oak, which is the principal receiving hospital for military patients.
	Emerging results from this pilot survey are being regularly analysed to establish any significant trends and to note any concerns expressed by patients. Our most recent analysis found that 98 per cent. of those who answered the question Overall, how would you rate the care you received? responded that it was excellent, very good or good. The survey is anonymous, but concerns expressed by individuals that may have a general application are all addressed, in consultation with NHS management as necessary, as we continue to seek further improvements in the care that our service men and women receive.

Armed Forces: Selly Oak Hospital

Lynne Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what assessment he has made of the level of recovery of injured service personnel treated at Selly Oak hospital compared with other previous arrangements.

Derek Twigg: It is difficult to compare like with like, given the changes that have occurred since the decision to close military hospitals in the mid-1990s, including advances in medicine, on the battlefield and elsewhere, and the level of personal protection now available to our troops. These changes have contributed to substantial improvements in the prospects of survival and recovery from serious wounds.
	The Chief of the General Staff commented in a recent interview,
	There is nowhere better in the country, nowhere more expert at polytrauma medicine than Selly Oak, that's why our people are there.

Armed Forces: Uniforms

John Battle: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what clothing contracts let by his Department have been  (a) awarded to overseas companies and  (b) subcontracted from UK companies to overseas companies in the last five years; and if he will make a statement.

Adam Ingram: Information is available only on the number of clothing contracts let over the last four financial years. Records prior to this date are not held centrally and the information could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
	Since April 2003, 40 clothing contracts have been awarded directly to overseas companies at an estimated value of 12.8 million. During the same period 465 clothing contracts have been placed directly with UK companies at an estimated value of 192 million. It is not possible to provide the number of overseas clothing subcontracts placed by UK prime contractors as this information is not held by the MOD. At the time of contract placement, however, these companies indicated that approximately 91.5 million of the work would be undertaken offshore. Records of any subsequent subcontracting arrangements are not held.

Army Board: Members

Kevan Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence on which occasions the  (a) Assistant Chief of the General Staff,  (b) Chief of the General Staff,  (c) Adjutant General and  (d) non-ministerial members of the Army Board have met hon. Members in the last 12 months.

Derek Twigg: Non-ministerial members of the Army Board have met with hon. Members on the following occasions. Meetings with Defence Ministers are not included:
	 Chief of the General Staff:
	13 March 2006The right hon. Mr. David Cameron MP
	25 May 2006Sir Patrick Cormack MP
	12 October 2006Armed forces parliamentary scheme lunch at the House of Commons.
	 Adjutant General:
	13 November 2006visit by armed forces parliamentary schemeMike Penning MP
	24 November 2006The right hon. Sir Menzies Campbell MP, QC and Nick Harvey MP
	 Director General Land Equipment:
	21 March 2006Mr. Robert Flello MP, Mrs. Clare Curtis-Thomas MP and Mr. Christopher Fraser MP
	 General Officer Commanding Northern Ireland:
	11 May 2006Mr. Laurence Robertson MP
	12 June 2006Dr. Liam Fox MP
	19 October 2006Mr. Mark Harper MP
	19-20 January 2007Mr. Robert Flello MP and Mr. Stephen O'Brien MP

Army Board: Official Cars

Kevan Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the  (a) make and  (b) model is of each car provided to non-ministerial members of the Army Board.

Derek Twigg: Due to security considerations, I am withholding details of precisely which model of car is used by each non-ministerial member of the Army Board. However, the range of cars is:
	Audi S8
	Lexus 430
	Ford Mondeo
	Rover 75
	Toyota Avensis
	Jaguar XJ8
	Vauxhall Omega
	Vauxhall Vectra

Army Costs

Kevan Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence pursuant to the answer of 20 March 2007,  Official Report, columns 749-50W, on army costs, if he will make an assessment of the market value of the house occupied by the General Officer Commanding Northern Ireland.

Derek Twigg: The house occupied by the General Officer Commanding Northern Ireland is within the confines of a barracks and so could not be sold on the open market without extensive work to separate it from the remainder of the site. There are no plans to put the property on the market and no assessment of market value is therefore planned.

Army: Discharges

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many discharges there were of  (a) Nepalese and  (b) other soldiers from the Army in each of the last five years for which figures are available; what monitoring has taken place of the type of housing obtained by those discharged; what additional funding has been given to appropriate local authorities to enable them to provide accommodation; and if he will make a statement.

Derek Twigg: Outflow of Gurkha and other soldiers and officers from the UK regular Army in each of the last five years is shown in the table:
	
		
			   Gurkhas  UK regular forces 
			  Outflow date  Officer  Soldier  Total  Officer  Soldier  Total 
			 2001-02 10 220 240 1,090 13,290 14,380 
			 2002-03 20 270 280 980 13,580 14,560 
			 2003-04 20 280 300 950 13,640 14,600 
			 2004-05 10 250 260 1,100 13,970 15,070 
			 2005-06 10 260 280 1,070 13,120 14,190 
			 1 February 2007(1) 10 190 200 1,230 13,650 14,880 
			 (1) Date periods are for financial years except for 1 February 2007 which represents the 12 month period ending 31 January 2007. 
		
	
	The MOD does not monitor the type of housing obtained by UK regular soldiers and officers who are discharged from regular service and does not provide additional funding to local authorities to enable them to provide accommodation for discharged personnel.
	Prior to 2004, all Gurkha officers and soldiers were required to return to Nepal for discharge purposes as part of their conditions of service. From 2004 onwards, Gurkhas became entitled to benefit from the HM Forces Immigration Rule if they were discharged with at least four years' service on or after 1 July 1997. Once discharged in Nepal, ex-Gurkhas may apply for indefinite leave to enter the UK and if granted, may settle and work here. However, this would be as private individuals, whom the MOD does not monitor.
	The Joint Service Housing Advice Office provides housing information and advice to service personnel and their dependants seeking information about civilian housing. This is delivered through a series of one day briefings in the UK, Germany, Cyprus and Gibraltar, and via their website. In addition, a monthly magazine 'Housing Matters' is distributed to service units worldwide.

Army: Manpower

Kevan Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence pursuant to the answers of 20 March 2007,  Official Report, column 750W, on army manpower, what the  (a) ranks and  (b) regiments are of those members of the armed forces assigned to the households of members of the Army Board; what their (i) roles and (ii) professional skills are; how many non-armed forces staff are assigned to each of the households of members of the Army Board; and what their roles are.

Derek Twigg: For those members of the Army Board assigned household staff at a cost to the Ministry of Defence, the details are:
	
		
			  Rank  Regiment  Role  Skills 
			  CGS
			 Colour Sergeant Yorkshire Regiment House Manager Has attended the Mess Supervisor and Mess Steward courses 
			 Corporal Yorkshire Regiment House Orderly Has attended the Mess Supervisor and Mess Steward courses 
			 
			  GOC NI
			 Sergeant The Rifles House Sergeant No formal skill requirement 
			 Corporal Royal Logistic Corps Cook Chef Class 1, City and Guilds 7061 in Catering and NVQ Level 3 in Catering 
			 Civilian(1)
			 
			  CinC LAND
			 Corporal (Lance Sergeant) Welsh Guards House Sergeant Mess Steward and Mess Supervisor; Category B and C driving 
			 Private (Guardsman) Welsh Guards House orderly and valet Mess Steward; Category B driving 
			 Civilian(2)
			  Adjutant General
			 Sergeant Royal Artillery House Sergeant No formal skill required 
			 Civilian(3)
			 (1) Gardener and Cleaner (2) Full-time (40 hours) Gardener; Full-time (40 hrs) Cleaner; Part-time  (20 hrs) Assistant Cleaner; Part-time (2 days per week) chef (3) 1 full-time domestic assistant; 1 gardener working 32 hours per week

Army: Northern Ireland

Lady Hermon: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence 
	(1)  which sites in County Armagh have been requisitioned by his Department for use by the British Army under emergency powers legislation since 1977;
	(2)  which sites in County Armagh have been leased from landowners by his Department for use by the British Army without the use of emergency powers legislation since 1977.

Adam Ingram: Given the need to obtain and analyse records going back 30 years, many of which are not held centrally or in an electronic form, it will take some time to provide a substantive reply, even if the required information still exists. I will write to the hon. Lady and a copy of my letter will be placed in the Library of the House.

Astute Class Submarines

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the reasons are for time taken to agree a contract price for the second and third Astute class SSNs; and if he will make a statement.

Adam Ingram: The development of robust and mature prices for Astute Boats 2 and 3 has required the design for the first 3 boats and the Boat 1 build programme to reach a higher level of maturity. The contract prices remain subject to approval.

Basra Air Base

Ann Winterton: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many Iraqi  (a) civilians,  (b) police and  (c) military personnel are expected to work in Basra Air Base.

Des Browne: Approximately 130 Iraqi military personnel are currently based at Basra Air Station. This figure will increase to around 200 personnel once the 10 Division headquarters moves from Basra Air Station in summer 2007 and the buildings have been converted to a Joint Leadership Academy. Some of those attending courses at the academy will be police personnel but it is not possible to estimate how many this will be at any one time.
	As at 20 March 2007, around 780 Iraqi civilians were working at Basra but this figure fluctuates significantly on a daily basis depending on a number of factors including contractor activity and requirements for construction work.

Bell 412 Helicopter

Ann Winterton: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the acquisition costs were at 2006 prices of the Bell 412 helicopter as operated by the Army Air Corps; and what the average total operating cost is of the helicopter per hour.

Adam Ingram: The Army Air Corps operates Bell 212 helicopters (a two bladed variant of the 412). The Bell 412 helicopter is operated only by the Royal Air Force. Both variants, however, are provided through lease contracts and are not owned by the Department.
	The lease contracts are based on firm monthly charges which are inclusive of all costs (less fuel) associated with the provision of serviceable helicopters for the MOD. The monthly charge payable by the MOD includes leasing and operating costs and is in the region of 2,000 per hour per helicopter. Approximately one third of this monthly charge is attributable to operating costs.

Conflict Prevention

Mark Harper: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence in which theatres the armed forces have engaged in conflict prevention operations in 2006-07.

Adam Ingram: The majority of the MOD's conflict prevention activity in 2006-07, as most recently set out in our Spring Supplementary Estimates, has been through our operations in Iraq, Afghanistan and the Balkans. The MOD has also continued to participate fully in the Global Conflict Prevention Pool (GCPP).
	The GCPP maintains a number of geographic and thematic strategies, addressing conflict issues around the world (outside sub-Saharan Africa, which is the preserve of the Africa Conflict Prevention Pool). In 2006-07, the GCPP supported geographic strategies active in Iraq, Afghanistan, the Balkans, the Caribbean, Latin America, Sri Lanka, India and Pakistan, Indonesia, East Timor, the Middle East and North Africa, Nepal, and Russia and the Commonwealth of Independent States. In addition to these geographic strategies, the GCPP thematic strategies, which address the United Nations, Small Arms and Light Weapons, and Security Sector Reform issues, are also carrying out conflict prevention work around the world.

Departmental Offices

Vincent Cable: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what area of office space his Department and its agencies used in central London in  (a) 2004 and  (b) 2006; and if he will make a statement.

Derek Twigg: In 2004, the Ministry of Defence's office space in central London amounted to a total net internal area of 148,000m(2); of which 55,000m(2) was leased and 93,000m(2) owned. By 2006 the figures had reduced to a total of 99,000m(2); of which 16,000m(2) was leased and 83,000m(2) owned.
	During 2004, the main building redevelopment was completed and the building reoccupied, allowing the closure of a number of buildings used as decant accommodation and an overall reduction in the number of MOD office buildings in central London from seven to three. This reflects the progress the Department has made to reduce the size of the London estate, while maintaining the efficient and effective delivery of defence objectives.

Departments: Compensation

John Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will place on his Department's website a report of compensation payments made by his Department in the last 12 months.

Derek Twigg: The information relating to common law compensation payments is contained in the Ministry of Defence's claims annual report that is published each July and placed on the Department's website.

Departments: Public Appointments

Julia Goldsworthy: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will list the former hon. Members who left Parliament in 2005 who have since been appointed to public bodies by his Department, broken down by party; and who was responsible for making each appointment.

Des Browne: The Ministry of Defence has not appointed any former hon. Members who left Parliament in 2005 to its public bodies.

Departments: Public Expenditure

Mark Harper: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will break down the financial year 2005-06 outturn for resources 1, 2 and 3 provision for each subhead by  (a) near cash departmental expenditure limit (DEL),  (b) non-cash DEL,  (c) capital DEL,  (d) near cash annual managed expenditure,  (e) non-cash annual managed expenditure,  (f) capital annual managed expenditure,  (g) near cash non-budget and  (h) non-cash non-budget.

Adam Ingram: The outturn for resource expenditure (Request for Resources 1, 2 and 3) for the 2005-06 financial year is analysed in the following table.
	
		
			  Ministry of Defencebreakdown of final resource outturn 2005-06 by DEL. AME and non budgetProvision of Defence Capability RfR1 
			  TLB  Estimate type  Final outturn (000) 
			 Commander-in-Chief Fleet DEL near cash 1,439,521 
			  DEL non cash 2,108,013 
			  Total DEL 3,547,534 
			  AME near cash  
			  AME non cash 8,153 
			  Total AME 8,153 
			  Non Budget near cash  
			  Non Budget non cash 37,948 
			  Total non Budget 37,948 
			 Total Commander-in-Chief Fleet  3,593,635 
			
			 General Officer Commanding Northern Ireland DEL near cash 424,954 
			  DEL non cash 154,554 
			  Total DEL 579,508 
			  AME near cash 0 
			  AME non cash 0 
			  Total AME 0 
			  Non Budget near cash 0 
			  Non Budget non cash 0 
			  Total Non Budget 0 
			 Total General Officer Commanding Northern Ireland  579,508 
			
			 Commander in Chief Land DEL near cash 4,217,704 
			  DEL non cash 1,414,240 
			  Total DEL 5,631,944 
			  AME near cash 0 
			  AME non cash 0 
			  Total AME 0 
			  Non Budget near cash 0 
			  Non Budget non cash 1,618 
			  Total Non Budget 1,618 
			 Total Commander in Chief Land  5,633,562 
			
			 Air Officer Commanding In Chief RAF Strike Command DEL near cash 1,991,995 
			  DEL non cash 2,050,776 
			  Total DEL 4,042,771 
			  AME near cash 0 
			  AME non cash 0 
			  Total AME 0 
			  Non Budget near cash  
			  Non Budget non cash 725 
			  Total Non Budget 725 
			 Total Air Officer Commanding In Chief RAF Strike Command  4,043,496 
			
			 Chief of Joint Operations DEL near cash 339,862 
			  DEL non cash 231,316 
			  Total DEL 571,178 
			  AME near cash 0 
			  AME non cash 7,244 
			  Total AME 7,244 
			  Non Budget near cash  
			  Non Budget non cash 7 
			  Total Non Budget 7 
			 Total Chief of Joint Operations  578,429 
			
			 Chief of Defence Logistics DEL near cash 4,624,301 
			  DEL non cash 2,898,611 
			  Total DEL 7,522,912 
			  AME near cash 0 
			  AME non cash 3,614 
			  Total AME 3,614 
			  Non Budget near cash 4,818 
			  Non Budget non cash 208,689 
			  Total Non Budget 213,507 
			 Total Chief of Defence Logistics  7,740,033 
			
			 2nd Sea Lord/Commander In Chief Naval Home Command DEL near cash 681,363 
			  DEL non cash 96,346 
			  Total DEL 777,709 
			  AME near cash 0 
			  AME non cash 0 
			  Total AME 0 
			  Non Budget near cash  
			  Non Budget non cash 26 
			  Total Non Budget 26 
			 Total 2nd Sea Lord/CinC Naval Home Command  777,735 
			
			 Adjutant General DEL near cash 1,587,615 
			  DEL non cash 349,866 
			  Total DEL 1,937,481 
			  AME near cash 0 
			  AME non cash 0 
			  Total AME 0 
			  Non Budget near cash 9,811 
			  Non Budget non cash 1,332 
			  Total Non Budget 11,143 
			 Total Adjutant General  1,948,624 
			
			 Chief RAF Personnel and Training Command DEL near cash 784,812 
			  DEL non cash 118,764 
			  Total DEL 903,576 
			  AME near cash 0 
			  AME non cash 0 
			  Total AME 0 
			  Non Budget near cash 1,607 
			  Non Budget non cash 1,946 
			  Total Non Budget 3,553 
			 Total Chief RAF Personnel and Training Command  907,129 
			
			 Central DEL near cash 2,164,892 
			  DEL non cash 319,629 
			  Total DEL 2,484,521 
			  AME near cash  
			  AME non cash 3,916 
			  Total AME 3,916 
			  Non Budget near cash -4,979 
			  Non Budget non cash 5,415 
			  Total Non Budget 436 
			 Total Central  2,488,873 
			
			 Defence Procurement Agency DEL near cash 1,498,458 
			  DEL non cash 795,114 
			  Total DEL 2,293,572 
			  AME near cash  
			  AME non cash -200,184 
			  Total AME -200,184 
			  Non Budget near cash 1,922 
			  Non Budget non cash 783,773 
			  Total Non Budget 785,695 
			 Total Defence Procurement Agency  2,879,083 
			
			 Science and Technology DEL near cash 505,429 
			  DEL non cash -3,824 
			  Total DEL 501,605 
			  AME near cash 0 
			  AME non cash 0 
			  Total AME 0 
			  Non Budget near cash  
			  Non Budget non cash 0 
			  Total Non Budget 0 
			 Total Science and Technology  501,605 
			
			 Defence Estates DEL near cash 859,658 
			  DEL non cash 200,651 
			  Total DEL 1,060,309 
			  AME near cash 0 
			  AME non cash 0 
			  Total AME 0 
			  Non Budget near cash 4,150 
			  Non Budget non cash 1,520 
			  Total Non Budget 5,670 
			 Total Defence Estates  1,065,979 
			
			 Conflict Prevention RfR2 DEL near cash 990,678 
			  DEL non cash 65,170 
			  Total DEL 1,055,848 
			  AME near cash 0 
			  AME non cash 0 
			  Total AME 0 
			  Non Budget near cash  
			  Non Budget non cash  
			  Total Non Budget 0 
			 Total Conflict Prevention RfR2  1,055,848 
			
			 War Pensions and Benefits RfR3 DEL near cash 4 
			  DEL non cash 2,200 
			  Total DEL 2,204 
			  AME near cash 1,066,932 
			  AME non cash -541 
			  Total AME 1,066,391 
			  Non Budget near cash  
			  Non Budget non cash  
			  Total Non Budget 0 
			 Total War Pensions and Benefits RfR3  1,068,595 
			
			 MOD Total  34,862,134 
		
	
	
		
			  Provision of Defence Capability RfR1 totals 
			  Estimate type  Final outturn (000) 
			 DEL near cash 21,120,564 
			 DEL non cash 10,734,056 
			 Total DEL 31,854,620 
			 AME near cash 0 
			 AME non cash -177,257 
			 Total AME -177,257 
			 Non Budget near cash 17,329 
			 Non Budget non cash 1,042,999 
			 Total Non Budget 1,060,328 
			 Total RFR1 32,737,691 
		
	
	The outturn for capital expenditure (Request for Resources 1 and 2) for the 2005-06 financial year is set out in tables 11 and 13 (pages 128 and 129) of the Department's Annual Report and Accounts 2005-06 (HC 1394), which is also available on our website:
	www.mod.uk/DefenceInternet/AboutDefence/Corporate Publications/AnnualReports/MODAnnualReports05061.

Departments: Public Expenditure

Mark Harper: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what methodology is used to calculate the figures for Votes A maxima.

Adam Ingram: Votes A maxima are based on previous data and known trends, and then a contingency is added to take account of in-year strength fluctuations. Under no circumstances should the Votes A maximum in any category be breached and it is for this reason that such contingency margins are required.

Departments: Publicity

Oliver Heald: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how much his Department spent on  (a) sponsoring newspaper or publication supplements and  (b) funding advertorials in newspapers or publications in the latest year for which figures are available; and what the topic was of each publication.

Derek Twigg: The extent to which my Department sponsors newspaper or publication supplements and/or advertorials is restricted to the Armed Forces recruiting organisations:
	 Naval Service
	12 advertorials were placed across the following magazines:
	'Loaded'; 'Nuts'; 'Glamour'; and 'Cosmopolitan'. They were an integral part of the Royal Navy's recruit marketing strategy and were designed to illustrate what life is like for typical serving personnel. The total cost was 128,000.
	 Army
	Double page spreads and full page advertorials were placed in the following publications:
	'Bella' (2 editions); 'Best' (2); 'Chat' (2); 'Take a Break' (2); 'That's Life' (2); 'Woman's Own' (2); 'Hello'; 'OK'; 'Max Power'; and 'Nuts'. Each featured an interview with an infantry soldier and a 'Gatekeeper' and focused on the benefit of the career, how it changed the soldier for the better and the pride felt by the family. Key facts on an infantry career and a call to action were also included. The total cost was 254,000.
	 RAF
	Advertorials were placed in the following publications:
	'FHM' (2 editions); 'More' (2); 'Nuts' (2); 'Zoo' (2); 'Bliss'; 'B Mag'; 'Company'; 'Glamour'; 'Loaded'; 'Maxim'; and 'Men's Health'. Each featured a male or female case study. The total cost was 111,000.

Departments: Repairs and Maintenance

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the cost to public funds was of the recent refurbishment of his Department's building.

Derek Twigg: The physical refurbishment of the Department's main building cost 323 million (VAT exclusive) and has created a modern and efficient workspace capable of intensive use for the next 20 years and beyond.

Departments: Trade Unions

Theresa May: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many meetings  (a) he and  (b) his Department's Ministers held with trade union representatives in 2006.

Derek Twigg: Defence Ministers held a total of 25 meetings with trade union representatives in 2006. The Secretary of State held five meetings, the Minister for the Armed Forces held six meetings, the Minister for Defence Procurement held 12 meetings. I held two meetings and my predecessors held two meetings.

Diego Garcia: USA

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence pursuant to the answer of 19 March 2007,  Official Report, column 604W, on Diego Garcia: USA, on how many occasions since  (a) the exchange of notes and  (b) the updated exchange of notes the UK has (i) been asked and (ii) given approval for operations carried out by the United States from Diego Garcia.

Des Browne: The notes allow the US to use the base as a forward operating location for aircraft and ships. Over the last 40 years many thousands of flights and ship movements have taken place, each of which is subject to UK authorisation. Records of such authorisations are not maintained centrally and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

EC Defence Policy

Mark Harper: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement on the outcome of the EU Defence Ministers' meeting on 1 March.

Des Browne: The meeting in Wiesbaden on 1-2 March was an opportunity for EU Defence Ministers to discuss a range of issues, including ESDP operations and forthcoming civilian missions, EU-UN relations, military capabilities and the European Defence Agency. It was an informal meeting and, as such, no formal decisions were made.

Eurofighter

Lynne Featherstone: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence 
	(1)  whether any of the Eurofighters being sold to Saudi Arabia under the agreement announced in August 2006 are already in production;
	(2)  when he expects to answer question 106850, on Eurofighters, tabled by the hon. Member for Hornsey and Wood Green on 28 November 2006.

Adam Ingram: I refer the hon. Lady to the answer I gave on 4 December 2006,  Official Report, column 84W.

Future of the United Kingdom's Nuclear Deterrent White Paper

Dai Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence 
	(1)  if he will list the public meetings on the White Paper, The Future of the United Kingdom's Nuclear Deterrent (Cm 6994) which  (a) he and  (b) other Ministers in his Department have attended since 4 December 2006; and who organised each meeting;
	(2)  if he will list the invitations to debate the Defence White Paper, The Future of the United Kingdom's Nuclear Deterrent (Cm 6994) which his Department has turned down since 4 December 2006; from which organisations each invitation was received; and what the reason for declining the invitation was in each case.

Des Browne: The following table sets out which public events MOD Ministers have attended on the future of the United Kingdom's nuclear deterrent since 4 December 2006:
	
		
			  Date  Minister  Event 
			 22 January Secretary of State Progress (Think Tank) Debate 
			 24 January Minister (Defence Equipment and Support) House of Lords debate 
			 25 January Secretary of State Speech at King's College, London 
			 6 February Secretary of State Defence Select Committee evidence session 
			 28 February Secretary of State More 4 debate 
			 4 March Secretary of State St. Matthew's Church, Kilmarnock 
			 7 March Secretary of State RUSI debate 
			 12 March Minister (Defence Equipment and Support) BBC 10 O'clock news 
			 12 March Minister (Defence Equipment and Support) BBC Newsnight 
			 14 March Minister (Defence Equipment and Support) BBC Radio 4 World at One 
			 14 March Secretary of State House of Commons debate 
		
	
	The two parliamentary debates were organised by the Government. The remaining events were organised co-operatively between the Ministry of Defence and the respective hosts.
	Ministers from other Departments have also discussed the future of the nuclear deterrent at both domestic and international public events. Ministers also took part in debates organised by the Labour party but these are not listed as they were party political events.
	Since 4 December 2006, the only invitation I am aware of which was declined by MOD Ministers was received from the Oxford Research Group. The invitation was declined because it clashed with prior diary commitments.

Gurkhas

Andrew MacKinlay: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what  (a) funds from his Department and  (b) Regimental funds are available for spouses of retired Gurkha soldiers resident in the UK to learn English; and if he will make a statement.

Derek Twigg: The families of Gurkha soldiers benefit, whilst serving, from extensive welfare support services, including language and interpretation assistance where practicable, to help them integrate into UK society. Retired Gurkhas who have registered for the Enhanced Learning Credit (ELC) Scheme, in common with all discharged service personnel, may draw upon it for up to 10 years post discharge. The ELC scheme assists serving and retired soldiers to follow a course of study with an accredited provider, which leads to a National Qualifications Framework (NQF) Level 3.

Harrier GR7

Ann Winterton: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence which versions of the Harrier are operated by the Royal Air Force in Afghanistan; what the acquisition cost was of each aircraft; and what the average total operating cost is per hour of Harriers deployed in Afghanistan.

Adam Ingram: There are currently six GR7 and two GR9 Harrier aircraft operating in Afghanistan.
	In the time available it has not been possible to trace the cost paid for these aircraft when first acquired. Their average historical cost is approximately 14 million. This was the value of the aircraft when first entered on the MOD's fixed asset register in financial year 1997-98.
	The total cost per funded flying hour across the Harrier fleet is approximately 37,000. This includes forward and depth servicing, fuel, the cost of one Flight Lieutenant pilot, training support costs and the cost of capital charge and depreciation.

Hercules Aircraft

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what plans he has for the fitting of kevlar matting to the cargo bays of Hercules aircraft.

Adam Ingram: In order to protect our personnel on operations, it is the Ministry of Defence policy not to comment in detail about current or planned levels of air platform protection. We constantly monitor a range of factors including the threat, technology available and industrial capacity to ensure that our aircraft on operations are equipped with appropriate protection systems.

International Security Assistance Force

Mark Harper: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how much financial support each NATO member supplied to the International Security Assistance Force in each year since 2001.

Des Browne: NATO policy is that the costs of deploying forces as part of a NATO-led operation, including the International Security Assistance Force in Afghanistan, are met nationally. The UK does not have the details of what costs were met by the 26 NATO and 11 non-NATO nations that have deployed troops with ISAF since 2001.
	A relatively small proportion of operational costs are met from the NATO common fund, to which each NATO member contributes a percentage as follows:
	
		
			   Percentage 
			 Belgium 2.88 
			 Bulgaria 0.34 
			 Canada 4.50 
			 Czech Republic 0.88 
			 Denmark 2.01 
			 Estonia 0.10 
			 France 12.86 
			 Germany 17.31 
			 Greece 1.05 
			 Hungary 0.65 
			 Iceland 0.047 
			 Italy 7.66 
			 Latvia 0.13 
			 Lithuania 0.20 
			 Luxembourg 0.15 
			 Netherlands 3.44 
			 Norway 1.72 
			 Poland 2.44 
			 Portugal 0.55 
			 Romania 1.09 
			 Slovakia 0.44 
			 Slovenia 0.25 
			 Spain 3.90 
			 Turkey 1.50 
			 United Kingdom 12.13 
			 United States 22.54

Iraq: Peace Keeping Operations

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence pursuant to the answer of 2 February 2007,  Official Report, column 963W, on urgent operational requirements, how many urgent statements of user requirement were  (a) raised,  (b) endorsed,  (c) not endorsed and  (d) progressed as an urgent operational requirement in (i) Iraq and (ii) Afghanistan in each of the last four years; what records are kept of urgent statements of user requirement, and by whom; how many urgent statements of user requirement were (A) proposed and (B) raised and subsequently withdrawn in theatre of operations in each of the last four years; and whether withdrawn statements are recorded.

Adam Ingram: It is not possible to give a comprehensive number of the total urgent statements of user requirement (USURs) raised or rejected as this is not recorded centrally. Suggestions are regularly put forward by troops on the ground and progressed up the chain of command, some of which will be progressed as USURs, but many can be met with equipment already available so there is no requirement to progress further. Those which do not progress beyond initial discussions and staffing are not routinely recorded.
	It is rare that a USUR be rejected once it leaves theatre, as the level of staffing will normally have ironed out any issues before it is forwarded. There are occasions when staff at the Permanent Joint Headquarters (PJHQ) will return a USUR for further work prior to its approval, but this does not amount to a rejection, as in most cases it will subsequently be accepted.
	Information on the number of USURs endorsed by the chain of command for Afghanistan is only held centrally from 2005-06. Information for both theatres for 2006-07 includes USURs endorsed up to 5 March 2007. The following table gives figures for the number of USURs endorsed by PJHQ, the last stage of approval in the chain of command prior to them being issued an urgent operational requirement (UOR) number and becoming a UOR. The figures therefore equate to the number progressed as UORs.
	
		
			  Financial year  Number of USURs endorsed by the chain of command for Iraq to nearest 10  Number of USURs endorsed by the chain of command for Afghanistan to nearest 10 
			 2003-04 50  
			 2004-05 80  
			 2005-06 80 90 
			 2006-07 to 2005 (March) 150 220 
		
	
	Requests by lower echelon commanders are staffed through the in-theatre chain of command, with both the unit and the brigade in theatre keeping relevant records.
	In the land environment, if the requirement is for a new item of equipment or for more equipment, where insufficient stocks are held on the inventory for the current operations, the request is forwarded to the Divisional Equipment Capability (EC) Cell for further staffing. The Divisional EC Cell constructs an USUR in consultation with the originator to ensure that the exact requirement is captured and submits it to the Permanent Joint Headquarters (PJHQ). Records of the USURs are held in the EC Cells in the appropriate theatre.
	Royal Navy and Royal Air Force requirements are staffed up the appropriate chain of command, with USURs then submitted to PJHQ in a similar way. If PJHQ endorses the requirement, the USUR is passed to MOD Centre for action. Records of endorsed USURs are held in PJHQ and MOD Centre.
	As stated above it is not possible to give a figure for numbers of USURs proposed, or raised and subsequently withdrawn.

Iraq: Peace Keeping Operations

Alex Salmond: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence 
	(1)  what complaints he has received from  (a) serving soldiers in Iraq and Afghanistan and  (b) their families;
	(2)  how many complaints he has received from  (a) serving soldiers in Iraq and Afghanistan and  (b) their families on (i) access to food, (ii) army issue footwear, (iii) supply of appropriate clothing and (iv) longer separated service allowance payments; and what discussions he has had with commanding officers in Iraq and Afghanistan on those issues.

Derek Twigg: holding answers 21 March 2007
	Specific information relating to the number of complaints raised on availability of food, army issue of footwear, supply of appropriate equipment and longer separated service allowance payment, through the means available to personnel or their families is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
	If, however, the user of a particular piece of clothing formally raises an issue because they believe that it has a defect then a formal defect report will be logged. Since the start of operations, there have been four defect reports for boots and one for a waistcoat for Operation Telic in Iraq. In addition, there have been three defect reports for body armour covers and one for a sleeping bag for Operation Herrick in Afghanistan. All defect reports were resolved.

Iraq: Peace Keeping Operations

Jennifer Willott: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence 
	(1)  how many servicemen injured whilst serving in (a) Iraq and (b) Afghanistan who contracted MRSA whilst receiving treatment for their injuries in UK civilian hospitals have subsequently had limbs amputated as a result of the infection; and if he will make a statement.
	(2)  how many servicemen injured in (a) Iraq and (b) Afghanistan have contracted (i) a viral infection and (ii) MRSA whilst receiving treatment for their injuries in UK (A) civilian and (B) military hospitals; and if he will make a statement.
	(3)  how many servicemen injured serving in (a) Iraq and (b) Afghanistan who contracted viral infections whilst receiving treatment for their injuries in UK civilian hospitals have subsequently had limbs amputated as a result of the infection; and if he will make a statement.

Derek Twigg: If an injury sustained in theatre warrants the immediate removal of a limb, the operation will be conducted under field conditions. Service personnel injured while on operation in Iraq or Afghanistan who require further medical treatment are usually aero-medically evacuated to Selly Oak hospital in Birmingham. Once evacuated to the UK, the patient will undergo detailed assessment by the hospital clinical team and further medical treatment, if required, will be carried out. We are aware of no cases of service personnel contracting an infection while in theatre, in transit, or as a military patient being treated in Birmingham that has subsequently led to a limb amputation.
	University Hospital Birmingham (UHB) has robust procedures in place to minimise the risk of infection and counter its effects in both its civilian and military patients. UHB does collect overall infection rates, and in total for all patients, it has had 93 MRSA bacteraemia reports across the Queen Elizabeth and Selly Oak hospital sites from April 2006 to the end of February 2007. This equates to 0.09 per cent. of the around 100,000 (mostly civilian) in-patients and day cases treated in this time period and only 0.02 per cent. of the total 500,000 of all patients treated in this period. UHB's MRSA bacteraemia reports have reduced by 32 per cent. in the last two years.
	Neither the UHB nor the Ministry of Defence holds a separate database or a record of military patients who have reported MRSA or other viral infections. Therefore, the precise number of military patients diagnosed with MRSA or viral infections in NHS hospitals is not available centrally. This information could be obtained only by searching through individual medical records with that person's permission, and this could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Iraq: Peace Keeping Operations

Joan Walley: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what assessment he has made of the extent of militia infiltration of the Iraqi police service; what assessment he has made of the risk this poses to UK troops on joint patrols; and if he will make a statement.

Adam Ingram: The majority of Iraqi police are doing a very difficult job effectively and their capacity to maintain public order, investigate crimes and arrest suspects continues to grow. We and the Iraqis accept, however, that corruption and criminality in the police force remain a problem. Work continues with the Iraqi authorities to remove corrupt and inefficient officers and to ensure that such issues are addressed in the training that we provide, particularly on leadership. Ultimately, reform of policing must be Iraqi-led.
	Coalition forces continually assess the risks to personnel, including when operating with the Iraqi police service.

Iraq: Peace Keeping Operations

Chris Mullin: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence 
	(1)  what was involved in the practice of conditioning of Iraqi prisoners; and if he will make a statement;
	(2)  who authorised the practice of conditioning of Iraqi prisoners; when Ministers first became aware of the practice; and what action was taken in response.

Adam Ingram: It would be inappropriate to comment on this matter while the court-martial in Bulford is ongoing.

Iraq: Peace Keeping Operations

Mark Harper: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence which units will be operating outside harmony guidelines as a result of the deployment to Iraq of Telic 10; and what the average tour gap number is for each unit.

Adam Ingram: Harmony guidelines allow Army units 24 months between six-monthly operational tours. Details of those Army units that will be operating outside these guidelines, when deploying on TELIC 10, are as follows:
	
		
			  Unit  Tour interval 
			 2 Royal Welsh 19 Months 
			 1 Royal Horse Artillery 20 Months 
			 Kings Royal Hussars 19 Months 
		
	
	Royal Air Force units operate differently to those of the Army. The RAF reports against harmony guidelines for formed unit tour intervals and against individual separated service guidelines for personnel. For RAF formed units the harmony guidelines state there should be 16 months between each four-month operational tour. RAF personnel rotate through the unit rather than remain with it throughout, therefore unit and personnel tour intervals are not necessarily the same. The following table illustrates the RAF formed units that will be operating outside harmony guidelines when deploying on TELIC 10:
	
		
			  Unit  Tour Interval 
			 4 RAF Force Protection Wing HQ 12 months 
			 1 Sqn RAF Field Regt 12 months 
			 2 RAF Force Protection Wing HQ 12 months 
			 34 Sqn RAF Field Regt 12 months

Iraq: Peace Keeping Operations

Mark Harper: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what factors have caused the changes in the costs of operations in Iraq between 2006-07 and 2005-06.

Adam Ingram: The net additional cost of operations in Iraq in 2005-06 was 957.6 million, compared to a projected total cost of 1,002 million for 2006-07 set out in the Spring Supplementary Estimate published on 20 February 2007: an increase of 44.4 million. This is mainly due to higher capital expenditure on urgent operational requirements and the introduction of the operational allowance for personnel serving in Iraq during 2006-07.

Iraq: Peace Keeping Operations

Mark Harper: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence 
	(1)  whether his Department plans to include in its estimates memorandum its planning assumptions for the cost of operations in Iraq and Afghanistan;
	(2)  whether the Government plan to include the provisions for all operations in the main estimates.

Adam Ingram: Provision for the costs of operations is not included in the main estimate 2007-08. Ministers have made clear to Parliament that the costs of operations are difficult to forecast in fast moving operational circumstances. The Department needs to ensure that the figures presented to Parliament are taut and realistic, and for this reason, the first request for resources for conflict prevention is made at supplementary estimates.
	The Department does not intend including any planning assumptions for the cost of operations in the estimates memorandum.

Iraq: Peace Keeping Operations

Iris Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many members of the Territorial Army  (a) received commendations and  (b) were decorated for their bravery in action in (i) Iraq and (ii) Afghanistan in each of the last five years.

Derek Twigg: Details of the number of Territorial Army personnel receiving commendations and decorations for bravery (Gallantry Awards) in Iraq and Afghanistan in each of the last five years are shown as follows:
	
		
			  Iraq 
			  Award/year  2002  2003  2004  2005  2006 
			 Military Cross   1 1  
			 Mention in Dispatches   2 1 2 
			 Queens Commendation for Bravery   1   
			 Queens Gallantry Medal   1   
			 Total 0 0 5 2 2 
		
	
	
		
			 Afghanistan 
			  Award/year  2002  2003  2004  2005  2006 
			 Military Cross  
			 Mention in Dispatches  
			 Queens Commendation for Bravery   2   
			 Queens Gallantry Medal  
			 Total 0 0 2 0 0

Iraq: Reconstruction

Mark Simmonds: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of the provincial reconstruction teams in Iraq.

Geoff Hoon: I have been asked to reply.
	Provincial Reconstruction Teams (PRTs) in Iraq have made significant progress since they were established in 2006. By working with Provincial Governments to develop their ability to deliver essential services to Iraqi citizens, PRTs have helped extend the reach of the Iraqi Government in key provinces.
	In partnership with the Iraqi Provincial Councils, the PRTs have co-ordinated reconstruction programmes in every province, to help ensure that a range of civilian and military and organisations are working to one Provincial Development Strategy.

Iraq: Reconstruction

Mark Simmonds: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the remit is of the provincial reconstruction teams in Iraq.

Geoff Hoon: I have been asked to reply.
	The remit of provincial reconstruction teams in Iraq is to co-ordinate international support for provincial development including civil development and reconstruction assistance; development of the capacity of the Provincial Government; and to help develop the rule of law and infrastructure.

Iraq: Territorial Waters

Tobias Ellwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many Royal Navy and marine patrol boats are operating in Iraqi waters.

Adam Ingram: As at 28 March 2007 there was one Royal Navy vessel and no UK marine patrol boats operating in Iraqi waters.

Iraq: Territorial Waters

Tobias Ellwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what helicopter support is available to support British Marines operating in Iraqi waters as part of operations conducted in pursuance of UN Security Council Resolution 1723.

Adam Ingram: It is not possible to provide the number of helicopters available to support British Marines operating in Iraqi waters as to do so would, or would be likely to, prejudice the capability, effectiveness and security of our armed forces. There are sufficient numbers of helicopters in theatre, all of which may be deployed in their specific role in support of marine operations if necessary. British forces are also able to call on the support of coalition assets as part of Multi- National Force Iraq if required.

Iraq: Territorial Waters

Tobias Ellwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence which other NATO countries are contributing to the patrolling of Iraqi waters in addition to British forces; and who has overall command.

Des Browne: The patrolling of Iraqi territorial waters is not a NATO task. Under UNSCR 1723, the United States, as lead nation of the Multi-National ForceIraq, has responsibility for the patrolling of Iraqi territorial waters. The UK, the only other member of NATO, and Australia provide support to this task.

Royal Navy: GPS

Tobias Ellwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what global positioning system and satellite tracking systems are on board Royal Navy rigid inflatable patrol boats.

Adam Ingram: Royal Navy rigid inflatable patrol boats carried by Type 22 and Type 23 frigates are fitted with a command, control and navigation system known as XERES.

Lynx Helicopter

Ann Winterton: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what versions of the Lynx helicopter are operated in Iraq; what the acquisition cost was of each aircraft; and what the average total operating cost is per hour of the Lynx helicopters deployed in Iraq.

Adam Ingram: A number of Lynx Mk 7 aircraft are currently operated in Iraq.
	These aircraft were initially procured between 1979 and 1981 and have subsequently been extensively modified and enhanced. The Net Book Value on 12 December 2006 for each of these aircraft was about 4.7 million.
	The total operating cost per hour for Lynx Mk 7 is approximately 23,000. This cost includes both fixed and marginal costs incurred in using the aircraft, comprising servicing costs, fuel costs, crew capitation and training costs, support costs and charges for capital and depreciation.
	Additional costs are incurred as a result of the operational use and particular climatic conditions experienced in theatre. These costs cover additional wear and tear, additional spares and additional equipment and are paid for by the Conflict Prevention Fund. A total of 11 million has been claimed against the Conflict Prevention Fund in financial year 2006-07 for additional operating and capital costs for Lynx Mk 7s operating in Iraq.

Military Aircraft: Helicopters

Ann Winterton: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence from what budget funding for the cross-service use of helicopters is taken; and if he will make a statement.

Adam Ingram: Joint Helicopter Command (JHC) was formed in 1999 with the specific purpose of providing integrated Battlefield Helicopter and Air Assault capability from all three Services. Funding for JHC is provided from the Defence budget, through Land Command.
	Other helicopters operated by the Royal Navy and the Royal Air Force may also be called upon for cross-service support. Use by a single service remains the resource responsibility of that service alone.
	The net additional cost of military operations are met from the Treasury Reserve.

Military Aircraft: Helicopters

Ann Winterton: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence which helicopters are being used by each of the services in  (a) Iraq and  (b) Afghanistan; on what operations they have been deployed; and if he will make a statement.

Adam Ingram: All helicopter assets are provided by the Joint Helicopter Command, which is a tri-service organisation. The following table shows the helicopter types deployed to Iraq and Afghanistan.
	
		
			  Operational theatre  Type of helicopter  Operated by 
			 Iraq Merlin Mk 3 Royal Air Force 
			  Sea King Mk 4 Royal Navy 
			  Lynx Army Air Corps and Royal Marines 
			  Puma Royal Air Force 
			
			 Afghanistan CH47 Royal Air Force 
			  AH64 Army Air Corps 
			  Lynx Army Air Corps 
		
	
	These are used for a range of operational tasks in support of UK operations but for reasons of operational security I will not go into detail on the operations that each helicopter undertakes.

MOD Police

Robert Key: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the terms of reference are for the review of the Ministry of Defence Police; when the review is expected to be completed; and if he will make a statement.

Derek Twigg: I apologise for the delay in answering this question.
	A copy of the terms of reference for a review by the Defence Management Consultancy Service (DMCS), of the optimal degree of integration of the Ministry of Defence Police and Ministry of Defence Guard Service, has been placed in the Library of the House.
	The Ministry of Defence and Guarding Agency has recently received a draft report from the DMCS which makes recommendations on the way ahead. This is currently being checked for factual accuracy and a copy of the final report will be placed in the Library shortly.

Navy: Deployment

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence pursuant to the answer of 26 March 2007,  Official Report, column 1359W, on Navy: deployment, how much  (a) revenue and  (b) capital spending was made on the Royal Yacht in each of the last five years; and what spending is forecast for future years.

Adam Ingram: None. The former Royal Yacht was sold to the Former Royal Yacht Britannia Trust in April 1998. The trust has complete control and financial responsibility for display and upkeep.

Navy: Recruitment

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many recruits the Royal Navy seeks to attract to the  (a) full-time regular service and  (b) reserve service in (i) officer and (ii) non-officer capacity.

Derek Twigg: Recruiting targets vary from year to year, depending on the requirement. For recruiting year 2007-08 the Royal Navy is seeking to attract:
	
		
			   Number of recruits 
			  Full-time Regular Service (1)4,077 
			 RN Officer 373 
			 RM Officer 58 
			 Rating 2,381 
			 RM Other Ranks 1,265 
			   
			  Reserve Service 1,218 
			 RNR Officers 178 
			 RMR Officer 10 
			 RNR Ratings 530 
			 RMR Other Ranks (Recruits) 500 
			 (1 )Including Royal Marines

Navy: Warships

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence 
	(1)  whether there are plans to enlarge the capability of the Royal Navy's fleet of assault ships; and if he will make a statement on the future of the fleet;
	(2)  whether there are plans to enlarge the capability of the Royal Navy's fleet of Type 22 Frigates; and if he will make a statement on the future of the fleet;
	(3)  whether there are plans to enlarge the capability of the Royal Navy's fleet of Type 42 Destroyers; and if he will make a statement on the future of the fleet;
	(4)  whether there are plans to enlarge the capability of the UK's aircraft carrier fleet; and if he will make a statement on the future of the UK fleet.

Adam Ingram: We are improving the capability of the fleet with the largest warship building programme this country has seen for many years. We have introduced new amphibious assault and support ships that are vastly more capable than the ships they replaced. We are bringing into service the Type 45 Destroyers, which are the most capable air-defence destroyers ever built for the Royal Navy. We plan to replace the present fleet of aircraft carriers with the future aircraft carriers, which will be the largest warships ever to see service with the Royal Navy. The Type 22 Frigates have many years of service ahead of them, and are planned to be replaced in due course by the new and more capable Future Surface Combatant.

RAF Feltwell

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many Royal Air Force personnel are based at RAF Feltwell.

Derek Twigg: There are no RAF personnel based at RAF Feltwell, which is a base made available to the United States Visiting Force.

RAF Menwith Hill

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence 
	(1)  when he was informed that the US planned to use its Space Based Infra Red System at Menwith Hill to provide critical data for national missile defence systems; and if he will make a statement;
	(2)  when he was first informed that data from Menwith Hill for the US Space Based Infra Red System was being used in relation to active defence systems.

Des Browne: The UK has received no request from the US to use RAF Menwith Hill for missile defence-related activities. Any such use would first require UK approval.

Royal Ordnance Factories: Chorley

Lindsay Hoyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what records are held on the number of employees  (a) killed and  (b) injured while working at the Royal Ordnance Factory in Chorley since the beginning of production at the site.

Adam Ingram: None. When BAE Systems purchased the Chorley site in 1987, all records were handed over to the company. The MOD does not keep a register of accidents that occur in private organisations.

Service Personnel

Mark Harper: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence pursuant to the answer of 8 January 2007,  Official Report, column 109W, on service personnel, what the five major issues on the Service Families Task Force Tri-Service Families Action Plan are.

Derek Twigg: Child care; communication; education (admissions, notice and special educational needs); health (access to NHS dentists, waiting lists); housing (upgrading programme, affordability, availability, customer care) and support for families in Greater London. The latter issue was added to the Families Action Plan at the quarterly meeting of the Families Working Group on 9 January 2007.

Territorial Army: Desertion

Mark Harper: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many absent without leave cases there were in the Territorial Army in each year since 1997.

Derek Twigg: holding answer 29 March 2007
	Members of the Territorial Army can only be declared as absent without leave from duty when they are mobilised or Full Time Reserve Service. In these circumstances, the regulations for UK Regular Service apply. There have been six members of the Territorial Army who have been charged with 10 counts of being absent without leave since 1997.

Type 22 Frigates

Claire Curtis-Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether his Department has made a feasibility study of  (a) replacing and  (b) updating the intelligence gathering capabilities provided by the four Batch 3 Type 22 frigates.

Adam Ingram: We continue to consider how communication electronic support measures on Royal Navy warships should be sustained under project SHAMAN. Options under consideration in the Assessment Phase include upgrade to, as well as replacement of, existing equipment.

Warships: Gulf

Julian Lewis: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence on what date the most recent decision was taken to deploy additional Royal Navy vessels to the Gulf.

Adam Ingram: holding answer 12 March 2007
	The Royal Navy is mandated to provide two frigates or destroyers and one auxiliary oil tanker to the Gulf and wider region.
	This requirement is kept under regular review, and force levels are adjusted as required. Additional RN units have been deployed to the Gulf and the wider region at various stages over the last six months, as a result of these reviews. Currently these additional units consist of two mine countermeasure vessels, one landing ship logistics, one auxiliary fleet support (with two airborne surveillance and area control Sea Kings embarked) and three Merlin Helicopters based at Seeb, Oman.
	Additionally, the Royal Navy training team have been deployed since 2003, tasked with training Iraqi forces until further notice.

World War II: Bombs

Stephen Crabb: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what estimate he has made of the number of unexploded devices from World War II remaining in  (a) Wales and  (b) Pembrokeshire; and what assessment he has made of the risks posed to members of the public.

Derek Twigg: Numerous reports of unexploded bombs (UXB) were investigated during and shortly after WWII; in most cases the UXB were located and cleared by military bomb disposal teams. There were, however, instances where a device could not be found. In these instances, it was concluded the UXB had either travelled underground to a depth and position where it could not be reached, it had broken up on impact, leaving only fragments, or the report was mistaken and no UXB existed. It was decided that such UXB sites did not represent an immediate danger to the public, and they were added to the Abandoned Bomb Register. These sites would only be further investigated if new evidence arose or a device was unearthed. There are 26 possible UXB sites on the Abandoned Bomb Register for Wales; none of these is in Pembrokeshire.

TRADE AND INDUSTRY

Alternative Energy

Alan Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry on what date in January 2007 the payments ceiling for grant allocations for domestic renewable energy installations for that month was reached.

Margaret Hodge: The introduction of monthly allocations to the household stream has provided us with the opportunity to manage the flow of funds with the aim of providing grants for householders through to June 2008, by which time some of our wider measures to promote microgeneration should be taking hold.
	Since the cap was introduced in December 2006, householders have been able to apply for a share of the 0.5 million pot that has been made available on a monthly basis. In January 2007, these funds were fully committed to successful household applicants on 12 January 2007.
	It is important to note that in the 2007 Budget, it was announced that a further 6 million will be made available to the household stream, taking the total available for householders to more than 18 million.
	Before deciding how to make best use of the extra funding, the household stream is to be suspended for the monthly allocation in April so that it can be re-shaped.

Animal Experiments: Cosmetics

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will take steps to extend the ban on the use of animal experimentation for the development of cosmetics to include the marketing of products produced abroad after animal experimentation.

Ian McCartney: The Cosmetic Products (Safety) Regulations 2004 (SI 2004/2152) implement the 7th amendment to the EU Council directive on the safety of cosmetic products.
	Among other things the 7th amendment introduces a ban on the testing of finished cosmetic products and their ingredients by 2005.
	It also introduces a two-stage marketing ban. Until 2009 the ban is operative only if an alternative to an animal test exists. From 2009 (with an exception until 2013 for three tests) the ban becomes fully operative irrespective of whether alternatives have been developed and irrespective of where in the world the product is manufactured.

Anti-dumping: EC Action

Michael Gove: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many anti-dumping investigations the EU carried out in each year since 1977; and how many investigations are in progress.

Ian McCartney: According to the European Commission, on 31 January 2007, there were 82 anti-dumping investigations in progress comprising review investigations and new investigations. Details of all cases investigated by the European Commission each year since 1996 are available in annual reports made to the European Parliament. These may be accessed through the following link to the European Commission's website:
	http://ec.europa.eu/trade/issues/respectrules/anti_dumping/legis/index_en.htm
	In addition a list, updated weekly, of all cases investigated or under investigation since 1996 is available through the following web link:
	http://ec.europa.eu/trade/issues/respectrules/anti_dumping/stats.htm
	According to the Commission, details of all cases investigated prior to 1996 can be found in a book entitled Anti-Dumping and Other Trade Protection Laws of the EC (fourth edition) published by Brussels law firm Van Bael and Bellis.

Anti-dumping: EC Action

Michael Gove: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what anti-dumping duties were applied by the EU in each year since 1977; to which countries they were applied; what duties are being applied; and to which countries they are being applied.

Ian McCartney: Details of all cases investigated by the European Commission each year since 1996, including the rates of anti-dumping duty imposed and the countries to which the duty applies, are available in annual reports made to the European Parliament. These may be accessed through the following link to the European Commission's website:
	http://ec.europa.eu/trade/issues/respectrules/anti_dumping/legis/index_en.htm
	In addition a list, updated weekly, of all cases investigated or under investigation since 1996 is available through the following web link:
	http://ec.europa.eu/trade/issues/respectrules/anti_dumping/stats.htm
	According to the Commission, details of all cases investigated prior to 1996 can be found in a book entitled Anti-Dumping and Other Trade Protection Laws of the EC (fourth edition) published by Brussels law firm Van Bael and Bellis.

Competition Commission

John Barrett: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry whether the Government are legally bound to enact a recommendation made by the Competition Commission.

Ian McCartney: holding answer 20 March 2007
	For most of the cases it considers, the Competition Commission does not need to make recommendations to the Government. It will simply use its statutory powers to make decisions and enforce necessary remedies.
	It is possible that in the course of its work, the Competition Commission may make recommendations to Government where cases raise issues affecting Government policy or the law. There is no statutory provision requiring the Government to implement any such recommendations, though the Government may be expected to give due regard to such recommendations.
	In cases where the Secretary of State uses his powers under the Enterprise Act 2002 to intervene on grounds of public interest and this results in a case being referred to the Competition Commission, the Enterprise Act provides that the Secretary of State must accept the Competition Commission's decisions on the competition issues raised by the case. In addition, in deciding whether or not to make an adverse public interest finding, he will have regard to the Competition Commission's conclusions on the public interest issues.

Control of Misleading Advertisements Regulations

Jo Swinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many successful prosecutions there were of companies in breach of the Control of Misleading Advertisements Regulations 1988 in each of the last five years; and in each case what breach took place.

Ian McCartney: Information regarding prosecutions and breaches of the Control of Misleading Advertisements Regulations 1988 can be found on the Consumer Regulations website, provided by the Office of Fair Trading, at www.crw.gov.uk This records five cases since 2003, all of which were dealt with through undertakings by the companies and relevant individuals rather than by prosecutions.

Departments: Pressure Groups

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what meetings took place between Ministers in his Department and outside interest groups between 1 January and 31 March; and what the date was of each such meeting.

Alistair Darling: Ministers meet many outside interest groups and attend many functions relating to Government business, and as part of the process of policy development. To provide the detailed information requested would incur disproportionate cost.

Departments: Redundancy

Justine Greening: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many people in his Department participated in  (a) involuntary and  (b) voluntary staff exit schemes in each year since 1997-98; and if he will make a statement.

Jim Fitzpatrick: The number of employees who have left the Department under exit schemes is shown in the following table:
	
		
			   Voluntary  Involuntary 
			 1998-09 0 0 
			 1999-2000 0 0 
			 2000-01 0 5 
			 2001-02 0 0 
			 2002-03 0 0 
			 2003-04 12 4 
			 2004-05 509 0 
			 2005-06 114 23 
			 2006-07 175 0 
		
	
	Figures prior to 1998-99 are not available.
	The Department will always try to deal with staff surpluses by means other than redundancy. If redundancies become unavoidable, the Department will endeavour to reduce staff by voluntary rather than involuntary means wherever possible. The Department is currently restructuring and is administering a voluntary exit scheme to deal with emerging surpluses. The full extent of voluntary and involuntary exits is not yet available.

Departments: Redundancy

Justine Greening: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many people in his Department who participated in  (a) involuntary and  (b) voluntary staff exit schemes in each year since 1997-98 were paid between (i) 0 to 25,000, (ii) 25,001 to 50,000, (iii) 50,001 to 75,000, (iv) 75,001 to 100,000 and (v) over 100,000; and if he will make a statement.

Jim Fitzpatrick: The numbers of staff who received payments in the requested bands were as follows:
	
		
			   
			   0-25,000  25,001-50,000  50,001-75,000  75,001-100,000  100,000+ 
			  Voluntary  
			 2004-05 228 192 75 7 7 
			 2005-06 45 28 21 9 11 
			 2006-07 40 40 44 23 28 
			   
			  Involuntary  
			 2005-06 8 4 7 1 3 
		
	
	Payments include pension lump sums as well as compensation awards. The information for earlier years could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.
	The Department will always try to deal with staff surpluses by means other than redundancy. If redundancies become unavoidable, the Department will endeavour to reduce staff by voluntary rather than involuntary means wherever possible. The Department is currently restructuring and is administering a voluntary exit scheme to deal with emerging surpluses. The full extent of voluntary and involuntary exit costs is not yet available.

Departments: Reorganisation

Peter Bone: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what plans he has to reorganise the structure of his Department.

Jim Fitzpatrick: We have no current plans to reorganise the structure of the Department. Naturally, we keep our internal organisation and resources under regular review, to ensure that they match our priorities and objectives.

Digital Switchover

Mark Lancaster: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what assessment he has made of the likely impact of the digital switchover on energy use.

Margaret Hodge: Digital switchover is expected to have an impact on both transmitter power usage and consumer power usage.
	Digital transmission is more efficient than analogue in terms of power usage. Replacing the analogue terrestrial transmission network with a nationwide digital terrestrial television network will lead to a significant net reduction in energy usage by the transmission networks, estimated to be 186 GWh per year.
	Consumer power usage is expected to rise as a result of switchover, primarily because of the rapid increase in the take-up of set-top boxes, particularly for second sets, which would not otherwise be converted until replaced. The predicted level of the increase is dependent on a number of assumptions about the usage and design of equipment in the market at the time of switchover. DCMS, DTI and Defra economists have estimated that the increase in consumer energy use of completing digital switchover in 2012 is likely to be between 966GWh and 2,816GWh per annum above that predicted for market take-up in the absence of a set switchover timetable. The central estimate for the total impact of switchover is a net increase of l,705GWh per year. This is equivalent to a 0.34 per cent. increase in domestic electricity consumption. This would be reduced if industry can be encouraged to make more energy-efficient products. Work on this is being taken forward as part of the DTI usability action plan.
	Further details are contained in the Regulatory and Environmental Impact Assessment: The timing of digital switchover, published on 16 September 2005. This was placed in the Library of the House of Commons at the time of publication, and is also available at
	http://www.digitaltelevision.gov.uk/consultations/con_ria_timingods.html.

EC Trade

Philip Hollobone: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what the trend has been in the UK's trade balance with the rest of the EU in the last five years.

Ian McCartney: The latest estimates of the balance of trade in goods and services with the EU25, including initial figures for 2006, are shown (at current prices) in the following table:
	
		
			billion 
			 2002 -24.3 
			 2003 -28.3 
			 2004 -30.5 
			 2005 -37.4 
			 2006 -37.2 
			  Source: ONS

Electricity: Meters

Gregory Barker: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry when he plans the Government's trials of smart meters to commence.

Malcolm Wicks: holding answer 29 March 2007
	The trials will commence in the near future, once contract negotiations with participating companies are completed.

Employment: Discrimination

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many recent representations he has received about age discrimination in the insurance industry.

Jim Fitzpatrick: We have received representations from the Employers Forum on Age, the Association of British Insurers and Group Risk Development about insured benefits on three occasions, in September and November 2006 and in February 2007.

Energy: Bills

Caroline Spelman: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what the average domestic  (a) gas and  (b) electricity bill in England was in each year from 1996-97 to 2006-07; and what estimate his Department has made for 2007-08.

Malcolm Wicks: The average domestic electricity(1) and gas bills for England and Wales are shown as follows and are published in Quarterly Energy Prices. The data presented are for standard credit customers in cash terms, it has not been adjusted for inflation.
	(1) The bills for standard electricity do not include customers that are on economy 7 tariffs.
	
		
			   
			   Electricity bill  Gas bill 
			 1996 295 330 
			 1997 283 328 
			 1998 266 315 
			 1999 260 304 
			 2000 253 295 
			 2001 246 293 
			 2002 244 310 
			 2003 245 320 
			 2004 251 333 
			 2005 281 386 
			 2006 335 474 
		
	
	Domestic gas and electricity price forecasts are not published by DTI. Provisional 2007 bills will be published on 27 September 2007.

Insolvency: Directors

Gary Streeter: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what the annual cost was of action by the Insolvency Service to investigate and pursue cases of director disqualification under the Insolvency Acts in each of the last three years.

Jim Fitzpatrick: Since 1 April 2003, the Insolvency Service's activities in the investigation and enforcement area have been funded by a DTI programme budget and from the recovery of costs awarded against disqualified directors as follows:
	
		
			   000 
			 2003-04 29,279 
			 2004-05 29,314 
			 2005-06 33,741 
		
	
	These figures can be found in the Insolvency Service's published accounts that are laid in Parliament annually in July. The 2006-07 figure is not yet available but will be published in July 2007.
	The cost of investigation and enforcement includes not only the cost of directors disqualification but also the reporting by official receivers of possible criminal offences and from 1 April 2004, work on Bankruptcy Restrictions Orders and Undertakings.

Insolvency: Directors

Gary Streeter: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what assessment he has made of the decision by the Insolvency Service not to prosecute certain cases of potential director disqualification due to lack of resources; and if he will make a statement.

Jim Fitzpatrick: In order to ensure the best use of available resources, the most serious potential disqualification cases are prioritised using a rigorous categorisation system. A total of 1,200 directors were disqualified in the year to 31 March 2007 compared to 1,173 disqualified in the year to 31 March 2006.

IT: Labour Market

Ashok Kumar: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many jobs in the IT industry have moved from the UK to other countries in the last 10 years; and what assessment he has made of the impact on the number of IT jobs in the UK in the future.

Margaret Hodge: The Department does not hold statistics on how many jobs in the IT sector have moved from the UK to other countries in the last 10 years.
	A report commissioned by the DTI from Ovum and published in June last year (available on the DTI website at http://www.dti.gov.uk/files/file32496.pdf) predicted that the number of people employed by the software and IT services industry in the UK could fall by 6 per cent. (from 249,000 to 233,500) in the three years to the end of 2008 as a possible consequence of globalisation.
	However, in recent years the ICT sector has been one of the fastest growing UK employers and its prospects continue to look good. The UK is a leading software producer in Western Europe and, with a long-established reputation for excellence, attracts major multinationals from across the ICT and software sectors worldwide. The UK ICT sector has unique strengths including in the development of innovative software and its world-class capability in the management of complex programmes and in problem-solving and creative thinking.
	According to statistics published by the Office for National Statistics, gross value added (at current prices) of the UK computer and related services sector increased from 7.7 billion to 35.6 billion between 1995 and 2005. It also continues to be an export success story, with exports of computer services increasing from 0.7 billion to 4.6 billion between 1995 and 2005, and the UK trade surplus in computer services rising from 0.4 billion to 2.9 billion over the same period (UK Balance of Payment, 2006 Edition).
	However, as markets become increasingly integrated with more international competition (and related opportunities), UK companies need to operate in a way that maximises their competitive advantage, For some, this has meant re-locating some operations to other countries, but the UK is also a major beneficiary of offshoring by overseas companieswe are the second largest global recipient of foreign direct investment. This increasing movement of labour is the reality of a globalised economy and the Government's role in it is to create the conditions to ensure that the UK remains a competitive place to do business. This includes providing an environment which enables business to move up the value chain where it can.

Low Carbon Buildings Programme

Alan Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry at what point in February 2007 the allocations ceiling for that month was reached for household installations under the Low Carbon Buildings Programme.

Margaret Hodge: The introduction of monthly allocations to the household stream has provided us with the opportunity to manage the flow of funds with the aim of providing grants for householders through to June 2008, by which time some of our wider measures to promote microgeneration should be taking hold.
	Since the cap was introduced in December 2006, householders have been able to apply for a share of the 0.5 million pot that has been made available on a monthly basis. In February 2007, these funds were fully committed to successful household applicants on 1 February 2007.
	It is important to note that in the 2007 Budget, it was announced that a further 6 million will be made available to the household stream, taking the total available for householders to more than 18 million.
	Before deciding how to make best use of the extra funding, the household stream is to be suspended for the monthly allocation in April so that it can be re-shaped.

Low Carbon Buildings Programme

Julie Kirkbride: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what assessment he has made of the impact of monthly grant capping under the Low Carbon Buildings Programme on household demand for micro renewables.

Malcolm Wicks: The introduction of monthly allocations to the household stream has provided us with the opportunity to manage the flow of funds with the aim of providing grants for householders through to June 2008, by which time some of our wider measures to promote microgeneration should be taking hold.

Low Carbon Buildings Programme

Philip Dunne: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many and what value of household grants were applied for under the Low Carbon Buildings Programme in each month from May 2006 to February 2007.

Malcolm Wicks: The information is as follows.
	
		
			   Number of applicants  Indicative grants () 
			 May 2006 594 491,185.29 
			 June 2006 262 299,377.04 
			 July 2006 574 987,563.67 
			 August 2006 563 882,173.93 
			 September 2006 428 825,648.50 
			 October 2006 1,124 1,376,536.00 
			 November 2006 1,116 1,362,611.18 
			 December 2006 456 633,418.23 
			 January 2007 381 624,682.77 
			 February 2007 326 623,981.72

Low Carbon Buildings Programme

Philip Dunne: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how much has been paid through the Low Carbon Buildings Programme in each month  (a) for domestic household conversions,  (b) for schools and other public sector buildings and  (c) for commercial private sector buildings.

Malcolm Wicks: The information is in the following table.
	
		
			   
			  Month  Households  Public sector  Private sector 
			 May 2006
			 July 2006 1,600   
			 July 2006 4,000   
			 August 2006 82,205.44   
			 September 2006 81,379.50   
			 October 2006 243,359.07   
			 November 2006 298,575.68 1,952.38  
			 December 2006 302,001.19   
			 January 2007 390,058.92   
			 February 2007 551,966.42 18,921.00

Low Carbon Buildings Programme

Matthew Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many households received Low Carbon Buildings Programme grants under the new capping system in  (a) January 2007,  (b) February 2007 and  (c) March 2007; and if he will take steps to remove the monthly cap from April 2007.

Malcolm Wicks: The purpose of the cap was to ensure the resources did not run out before June 2008. The following table shows the number of households to receive Low Carbon Buildings Programme grants by month this year.
	
		
			   Number of households 
			 January 2007 264 
			 February 2007 188 
			 March 2007 189 
		
	
	In the Budget 2007, it was announced that a further 6 million will be made available to the household stream of the Low Carbon Buildings Programme, taking the total available for householders to more than 18 million.
	Before deciding how to make best use of the extra funding, the household stream is to be suspended for the monthly allocation in April so that the scheme can be re-shaped.

Low Carbon Buildings Programme

Martin Horwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many households received grants under the Low Carbon Buildings Programme in each month since its launch; and how many and what value of such grants were given to  (a) solar photovoltaics,  (b) small hydro,  (c) wind turbines,  (d) solar thermal hot water,  (e) ground/water/air source heat pumps,  (f) bio-energy,  (g) renewable CHP,  (h) micro CHP and  (i) fuel cells.

Malcolm Wicks: holding answer 29 March 2007
	The information requested is as follows.
	
		
			  Month  Technology  Number of grants  Value of grants () 
			 May 2006 Solar PV 4 37,309.94 
			  Small hydro 0 0 
			  Wind Turbines 6 24,000.00 
			  Solar Thermal Hot Water 76 30,000.00 
			  Ground Source Heat Pump 14 16,800.00 
			  Bio-energy 7 10,500.00 
			  Renewable CHP 0 0 
			  Micro CHP 0 0 
			  Fuel Cells 0 0 
			 Total  107 118,609.94 
			 
			 June 2006 Solar PV 26 186,676.97 
			  Small hydro 0 0 
			  Wind turbine 20 84,414.00 
			  Solar Thermal Hot Water 209 82,400.00 
			  Ground Source Heat Pump 31 37,200.00 
			  Bio-energy 7 10,118.40 
			  Renewable CHP 0 0 
			  Micro CHP 0 0 
			  Fuel Cells 0 0 
			 Total  293 400,809.37 
			 
			 July 2006 Solar PV 58 448,526.56 
			  Small hydro 1 1,500.00 
			  Wind turbine 33 137,253.40 
			  Solar Thermal Hot Water 321 127,750.00 
			  Ground Source Heat Pump 55 66,000.00 
			  Bio-energy 11 15,760.80 
			  Renewable CHP 0 0 
			  Micro CHP 0 0 
			  Fuel Cells 0 0 
			 Total  479 796,790.76 
			 
			 August 2006 Solar PV 52 342,058.41 
			  Small hydro 2 7,800.00 
			  Wind Turbine 19 85,449.50 
			  Solar Thermal Hot Water 282 112,766.60 
			  Ground Source Heat Pump 38 45,443.10 
			  Bio-energy 16 23,834.28 
			  Renewable CHP 0 0 
			  Micro CHP 0 0 
			  Fuel Cells 0 0 
			 Total  409 617,351.89 
			 
			 September 2006 Solar PV 59 435,256.10 
			  Small hydro 0 0 
			  Wind Turbine 30 127,240.40 
			  Solar Thermal Hot Water 214 85,590.10 
			  Ground Source Heat Pump 24 28,800.00 
			  Bio-energy 13 16,466.00 
			  Renewable CHP 0 0 
			  Micro CHP 0 0 
			  Fuel Cells 0 0 
			 Total  340 693,352.60 
			 
			 October 2006 Solar PV 91 700,030.30 
			  Small hydro 0 0 
			  Wind turbine 522 356,084.18 
			  Solar Thermal Hot Water 315 125,600.45 
			  Ground Source Heat Pump 22 26,250.00 
			  Bio-energy 17 19,328.19 
			  Renewable CHP 0 0 
			  Micro CHP 0 0 
			  Fuel Cells 0 0 
			 Total  967 1,227,293.12 
			 
			 November 2006 Solar PV 80 608,877.77 
			  Small hydro 0 0 
			  Wind turbine 551 427,735.00 
			  Solar Thermal Hot Water 298 119,160.00 
			  Ground Source Heat Pump 36 43,200.00 
			  Bio-energy 21 28,412.96 
			  Renewable CHP 0 0 
			  Micro CHP 0 0 
			  Fuel Cells 0 0 
			 Total  986 1,227,385.73 
			 
			 December 2006 Solar PV 38 250,074.57 
			  Small hydro 1 5,000.00 
			  Wind turbine 149 151,765.79 
			  Solar Thermal Hot Water 102 40,800.00 
			  Ground Source Heat Pump 17 20,400.00 
			  Bio-energy 17 22,853.41 
			  Renewable CHP 0 0 
			  Micro CHP 0 0 
			  Fuel Cells 0 0 
			 Total  324 490,893.77 
			 January 2007 Solar PV 35 239,218.45 
			  Small hydro 0 0 
			  Wind turbine 89 188,149.47 
			  Solar Thermal Hot Water 113 45,200.00 
			  Ground Source Heat Pump 13 15,600.00 
			  Bio-energy 4 5,100.00 
			  Renewable CHP 0 0 
			  Micro CHP 0 0 
			  Fuel Cells 0 0 
			 Total  254 493,267.92 
			 
			 February 2007 Solar PV 43 343,557.83 
			  Small hydro 0 0 
			  Wind turbine 38 63,586.39 
			  Solar Thermal Hot Water 89 35,600.00 
			  Ground Source Heat Pump 10 11,843.10 
			  Bio-energy 7 10,112.40 
			  Renewable CHP 0 0 
			  Micro CHP 0 0 
			  Fuel Cells 0 0 
			 Total  187 464,699.72 
			 
			 March 2007 Solar PV 62 456,507.89 
			  Small hydro 0 0 
			  Wind turbine 31 127,427.00 
			  Solar Thermal Hot Water 79 31,600.00 
			  Ground Source Heat Pump 11 13,050.00 
			  Bio-energy 6 8,100.00 
			  Renewable CHP 0 0 
			  Micro CHP 0 0 
			  Fuel Cells 0 0 
			 Total  189 636,684.89

Low Carbon Buildings Programme

Lynne Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how much funding will be allocated to the Low Carbon Buildings Programme domestic grants in  (a) April and  (b) May 2007; and if he will make a statement.

Malcolm Wicks: In the Budget 2007, the Chancellor announced that a further 6 million will be made available to the household stream of the Low Carbon Buildings Programme through to June 2008, taking the total available for householders to more than 18 million.
	We are discussing in detail the restructuring of the scheme with industry to ensure we can make the best use of the additional funds. Taking into account the work required to re-shape the scheme, we have taken the necessary step to suspend the scheme for the monthly allocation in April, with a view to restarting the household stream of the programme in May 2007.

Low Carbon Buildings Programme

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how people will be able to apply for the Low Carbon Buildings Programme following the scheme's restructuring.

Malcolm Wicks: holding answer 29 March 2007
	In the Budget, it was announced that a further 6 million will be made available to the household stream of the Low Carbon Buildings Programme, taking the total available for householders to more than 18 million.
	Before deciding how to make best use of the extra funding, the household stream will be suspended for the monthly allocation in April so that it can be re-shaped.

Low Carbon Buildings Programme

Robert Key: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry for what reason the Low Carbon Buildings Programme grants regime has been suspended; and if he will make a statement.

Malcolm Wicks: In the Budget 2007, the Chancellor announced that a further 6 million will be made available to the household stream of the Low Carbon Buildings Programme through to June 2008, taking the total available for householders to more than 18 million.
	We are discussing in detail the restructuring of the scheme with industry to ensure we can make the best use of the additional funds. Taking into account the work required to re-shape the scheme, we have taken the necessary step to suspend the scheme for the monthly allocation in April, with a view to restarting the household stream of the programme in May 2007.

Low Carbon Buildings Programme

Edward Vaizey: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what assistance will be made available for households installing small scale renewable technologies during the restructuring of the Low Carbon Buildings Programme.

Malcolm Wicks: In the Budget 2007, the Chancellor announced that a further 6 million will be made available to the household stream of the Low Carbon Buildings Programme through to June 2008, taking the total available for householders to more than 18 million.
	We are discussing in detail the restructuring of the scheme with industry to ensure we can make the best use of the additional funds. Taking into account the work required to re-shape the scheme, we have taken the necessary step to suspend the scheme for the monthly allocation in April, with a view to restarting the household stream of the programme in May 2007.
	Householders may temporarily be affected during the period of the suspension. However, it is important to note that of the 7.1 million allocated to household projects to date, 4.5 million remains in the pipeline of projects still to be completed.

Postal Services

Anthony Steen: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will allow sub-postmasters to offer Paypoint facilities with a view to increasing foot traffic.

Jim Fitzpatrick: There are no restrictions on sub-postmasters having a paypoint terminal on the retail side of their premises provided the terminal is not used for products and services offered on the Post Office side of the business.

Postal Services: Competition

Anthony Steen: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will take steps to lift restrictions on sub-postmasters offering competing services.

Jim Fitzpatrick: The Government have no role in determining the terms and restrictions applying to sub-postmasters through their contract with Post Office Ltd.

Postal Services: Regulation

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what steps his Department has taken to ensure that the successor to Postwatch will work effectively at a regional level.

Ian McCartney: holding answer 27 March 2007
	The Department is working very closely with Postwatch, Energywatch, and the National Consumer Council to ensure that the practical implementation of the measures in the Consumers, Estate Agents and Redress Bill meet the detailed requirements of the different sectors. Serious consideration of how best to provide for a regional dimension for the way the new National Consumer Council represents consumer views is part of that ongoing work.

Public Bodies: Reorganisation

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what assessment his Department has made of the potential locations for the headquarters of the merged Postwatch, Energywatch and National Consumer Council.

Ian McCartney: holding answer 27 March 2007
	The Department has benefited from constructive and detailed input from the National Consumer Council, Energywatch and Postwatch on the considerations to be borne in mind when making a decision on the location of the headquarters for the new National Consumer Council. The final decision will be taken as soon as is practicable, having regard to the range of relevant issues.

Radio Frequencies: Licensing

Dai Havard: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what undertakings were made by the Government to bidders in the Third Generation mobile telecommunications licence auction on the refarming of 2G spectrum for 3G use.

Margaret Hodge: 'The Government made no undertakings to bidders in the 3G auction on the refarming of 2G spectrum for 3G use. However, set out in para 3.4.1.3 of the Information Memorandum issued at the time by N. Rothschild and Sons on behalf of the Government is an account of how the Government expected to approach the question of refarming in the light of decisions that were expected to be made in due course within the EU. This Information Memorandum is available at:
	http://www.ofcom.org.uk/static/archive/spectrumauctions/3gindex.htm
	and a copy is available in the Library of the House.

Renewable Energy Grants

Martin Horwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many and what value of grants were made to domestic households in England for renewable energy in  (a) 2002,  (b) 2003,  (c) 2004,  (d) 2005 and  (e) 2006; and what the projected amount is of grants to be made in 2007-08.

Malcolm Wicks: The information requested is as follows:
	
		
			   Number of grants  Value of grants 
			 2002 74 489,912.58 
			 2003 1,428 1,752,333.20 
			 2004 3,181 3,274,411.69 
			 2005 2,469 3,948,803.88 
			 2006 672 2,387,093.91 
		
	
	There are no figures available for 2007-08, as we do not publish forward projections.

Renewable Energy: Finance

Christopher Huhne: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry at what date in  (a) January and  (b) February the allocation for grants in each month for renewable energy installations was exhausted; and whether he is considering changes to the scheme to avoid the adverse consequences of such exhaustions of allocations.

Malcolm Wicks: The introduction of monthly allocations to the household stream has provided us with the opportunity to manage the flow of funds with the aim of providing grants for householders through to June 2008, by which time some of our wider measures to promote microgeneration should be taking hold.
	Since the cap was introduced in December 3006, householders have been able to apply for a share of the 0.5 million pot that is being made available on a monthly basis. In January 2007, these funds were fully committed to successful household applicants on 12 January 2007. In February 2007, these funds were fully committed to successful household applicants on 1 February 2007.
	It is important to note that in the Budget 2007, it was announced that a further 6 million will be made available to the household stream, taking the total available for householders to more than 18 million.
	Before deciding how to make best use of the extra funding, the household stream is to be suspended for the monthly allocation in April so that it can be re-shaped.

Satellites

Bob Russell: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry whether he has held discussions with the East of England Development Agency on its proposal to spend 12 million on a space satellite.

Malcolm Wicks: holding answer 29 March 2007
	My officials in the British National Space Centre (BNSC) have worked with the East of England Development Agency (EEDA), the South East of England Development Agency (SEEDA) and the London Development Agency (LDA) to fund the UK subscription in support of the Inmarsat-led I-XL (Inmarsat eXtended L-band) bid to the European Space Agency (ESA) Alphasat Programme.

Seals: EC Action

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will make it his policy to ban the importation of  (a) harp seal,  (b) hooded seal and  (c) other seal products into the UK; and if he will make a statement.

Ian McCartney: I made an announcement by ministerial statement on this issue on 8 February 2007,  Official Report, column 43WS.

Severn Barrage

Laurence Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what consideration he has given to commissioning an appraisal of the possible benefits and environmental risks associated with the building of a Severn barrage; and if he will make a statement.

Malcolm Wicks: A major study is currently under way that will help us to better understand how to make best use of the potential tidal resource in UK waters. The study is led by the Sustainable Development Commission working together with the DTI, the Welsh Assembly Government, the South West Regional Development Agency and other key interested parties.
	The study is looking at the issues arising on the tidal resource, including consideration of the potential of the Severn Estuary. A final report by the Sustainable Development Commission will consider the various aspects of a Severn barrage from a sustainable development perspective and is expected by early summer.
	Further information can be found at:
	www.sd-commission.org.uk/pages/tidal.html

Small Businesses

John McDonnell: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many workers are excluded from the provisions of statutory recognition procedures as a result of  (a) the 21-worker threshold and  (b) employment status.

Jim Fitzpatrick: The statutory recognition procedure applies to GB employers who, together with their associated employers, employ 21 or more workers. It is not possible to estimate precisely how many workers are employed in organisations which fall under this threshold. However, at the start of 2005, the estimated number of employees working in UK enterprises with 19 or fewer employees was 4,764,000. There are no estimates of the number of workers who are excluded from the statutory procedure because of their employment status. However, because the definition of worker used for the purpose of the statutory procedure is broad, the number is likely to be relatively low.

Solar Power: Grants

Philip Dunne: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what assessment his Department has made of the potential impact on demand for household solar photo voltaics (PV) of the decision to reduce the domestic solar PV grant by 1,000 per kWp from 2 April.

Malcolm Wicks: When the Low Carbon Buildings Programme was launched in April 2006, we always intended to review grant levels at the end of the first year. After discussions with industry, it was decided that the level of support for solar PV should be reduced in April 2007, from a maximum of 3,000 per kWp installed to a maximum of 2,000 per kWp installed.
	This measure, among others, will help us to make funds available to householders until June 2008 when some of our wider measures to support microgeneration should be taking hold.
	It is important to note that in the Budget 2007, the Chancellor announced that a further 6 million will be made available to the household stream of the programme, taking the total available to householders to more than 18 million. We are discussing in detail the restructuring of the scheme with industry to ensure we can make the best use of the additional funds, and to address the operational difficulties that have been encountered over recent months. Taking into account the work required to re-shape the scheme, we have taken the necessary step to suspend the scheme for the monthly allocation in April, with a view to restarting the household stream of the programme in May 2007.

Telecommunications: Fees and Charges

David Anderson: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will take steps to prevent  (a) BT and  (b) other telecommunication companies levying additional charges on customers who pay other than by monthly plan or direct debit.

Margaret Hodge: While this is a commercial matter, my understanding is that for a number of years, BT has applied a price differential between customers who pay their accounts by direct debit and those who pay by other means. This reflects the increased processing and debt management costs associated with payments not made by direct debit. Such differentials are common practice among communications providers and utility service providers.
	From 1 May 2007, BT is changing how it presents this differential from a discount for those customers paying by direct debit, to a charge for those paying by other means. BT has combined this change with an increase of 1.50 a quarter in the charge (from 3 to 4.50).
	The Light User Scheme, In Contact and BT Basic will not be affected by the increased charge. These are the special tariff schemes offered to vulnerable customers by BT as a result of the Universal Service Obligation placed on the company.
	I have raised the matter with the chief executive officer of the independent regulator, the Office of Communications (Ofcom). Ofcom is considering whether any of the changes BT has recently made raise any regulatory issues and is coming back to me on this in April.

Tour Operators: Competition

Angus MacNeil: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will discuss the implications of the Thomas Cook-My Travel merger for competition in the UK package holiday market with the European Commissioner Health and Consumer Protection; and if he will make a statement.

Ian McCartney: Investigation into the effects on competition in any merger is the responsibility of the independent competition authorities. Government Ministers have no role in this process and there are no plans to hold any discussions with the European Commission in relation to this proposed merger.
	I would welcome any further information from the hon. Gentleman which may be helpful to the regulators.

Tour Operators: Mergers

Angus MacNeil: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will discuss the implications of the competition issues arising from the TUI-First Choice merger in the UK package holiday market with the European Commissioner for Health and Consumer Protection; and if he will make a statement.

Ian McCartney: holding answer 28 March 2007
	Ministers have no plans to discuss this matter with representatives of the European Commission. The regulatory control of mergers is a matter for the relevant independent competition authorities with cases considered on grounds of their impact on competition in the relevant market. Ministers have no role in this process although they do retain certain powers to intervene in cases that raise narrowly defined public interest concerns.
	I would welcome any further information from the hon. Gentleman which may be helpful to the regulators.

Tour Operators: Mergers

Angus MacNeil: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will hold discussions with  (a) the Office of Fair Trading and  (b) the Competition Commissioner on the state of the UK market in foreign package holidays.

Ian McCartney: Ministers have no plans to discuss this matter either with the Office of Fair Trading or with representatives of the European Commission. The regulatory control of mergers is a matter for the relevant independent competition authorities with cases considered on grounds of their impact on competition in the relevant market. Ministers have no role in this process although they do retain certain powers to intervene in cases that raise narrowly defined public interest concerns.
	I would welcome any further information from the hon. Gentleman which may be helpful to the regulators.

Tour Operators: Mergers

Angus MacNeil: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry 
	(1)  what representations he has received from consumer groups on the competition implications for the UK package holiday market of the proposed TUI-First Choice merger;
	(2)  what representations he has received from  (a) independent and  (b) non-vertically-integrated tour operators on the competition implications for the UK package holiday market of the proposed TUI-First Choice merger.

Ian McCartney: Ministers have received no representations on this matter. The regulatory control of mergers is a matter for the relevant independent competition authorities with cases considered on grounds of their impact on competition in the relevant market. Ministers have no role in this process although they do retain certain powers to intervene in cases that raise narrowly defined public interest concerns.
	I would welcome any further information from the hon. Gentleman which may be helpful to the regulators.

NORTHERN IRELAND

Arts: Finance

Iris Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what the annual per capita expenditure was on arts funding in the Province in each of the last five years.

Maria Eagle: The annual per capita expenditure on arts funding Northern Ireland in each of the last five years is shown in the following table. These figures are based on Exchequer allocations to the Arts Council of Northern Ireland.
	
		
			
			 2002-03 5.79 
			 2003-04 5.77 
			 2004-05 6.49 
			 2005-06 6.33 
			 2006-07 6.25

Arts: Finance

Gregory Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will take steps to ensure that per capita funding for the arts in Northern Ireland is at the same level as in the United Kingdom as a whole.

Maria Eagle: The level of funding for the arts in future years will be considered as part of the 2007 Comprehensive Spending Review. The outcome will not be known until later in the year.

Autism

Mark Durkan: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how much the Department of Health, Social Services and Public Safety spent on service provision for children with autism in each health and social services board area in each of the last five years.

Paul Goggins: The proportion of the overall baseline which is spent by the health and social services boards for the provision of services for children with autism is not separately identified.
	In addition to the provision of mainstream funding for children's services, the Department of Health, Social Services and Public Safety allocated an additional 0.5 million recurrent funding in 2004-05 to improve the life outcome for 200 children and young people with autism. In September 2006, a further 0.5 million recurrent funding was made available to provide early intervention services for 300 children with autistic spectrum disorders.
	An element of the funding which is provided within health and personal social services baselines for adolescent psychiatry (2.4 million in 2004-05) is also spent on services to support children with autism. The multi-disciplinary support teams established through the Children and Young People's Funding Package, March 2006, is also working alongside existing services in schools helping to provide diagnosis and interventions for children with autism.

Autism

Mark Durkan: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland 
	(1)  how much the Department of Health, Social Services and Public Safety has earmarked for service provision for children with autism for each of the next three years;
	(2)  whether he plans to increase the resources available for service provision for children with autism.

Paul Goggins: Budget decisions for the next three years, 2008-09 to 2010-11, will be agreed as part of the Comprehensive Spending Review 2007. Final decisions on future years' budgets will not therefore be made until December 2007 at the earliest.

Belfast-Bangor County Down Railway Line

Lady Hermon: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what investigation has been carried out by his Department to ascertain why the former Head of Infrastructure at Translink removed and destroyed the bulk of documentation relating to the upgrade of the Belfast to Bangor railway line when he left the company in March 2002.

David Cairns: I refer the hon. Lady to paragraphs 3.13-3.16 of the Northern Ireland Audit Office report, which covers the actions taken by the Department. A copy of the report is available in the House of Commons Library or can be accessed via the Northern Ireland Audit Office website at
	www.niauditoffice.gov.uk/index.asp.

Belfast-Bangor County Down Railway Line

Lady Hermon: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what steps he is taking to introduce a central document registry within Translink following the recommendations of the Northern Ireland Audit Office report on the upgrade of the Belfast to Bangor railway line.

David Cairns: The Board of the Northern Ireland Transport Holding Company has purchased proprietary software to assist in file management and is working to progress the Audit Office's recommendation on records management.

Belfast-Bangor County Down Railway Line

Lady Hermon: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what assessment he has made of the recommendations of the Northern Ireland Audit Office report on the upgrade of the Belfast to Bangor railway line; and if he will make a statement.

David Cairns: I welcome this Audit Office report 'The Upgrade of the Belfast to Bangor Railway Line' and its recommendations.
	Significant lessons have been learned and applied as a result of this project, and work is under way to ensure the full implementation of the Audit Office's recommendations.
	The Northern Ireland Audit Office report was scheduled to be considered by the Public Accounts Committee at Westminster on 28 March. The Committee decided to cancel the session but has commended it to the Stormont PAC as an urgent issue for its consideration when devolution returns.

Community Service

Lady Hermon: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many offenders were enrolled in community service programmes in Northern Ireland in each of the last six years; how many offenders breached their community service orders over the same period; and what the consequence was of the breach in each case in which no legal proceedings are active.

David Hanson: The Probation Board for Northern Ireland supervises Community Service Orders and Combination Orders, both of which require a number of hours of unpaid work to be completed by the offender.
	The following table specifies the number of Community Service and Combination Orders made in the past six years.
	
		
			  Number of community service and combination orders made (2000-01 to 2005-06) 
			  Orders Made  Community Service Orders  Combination Orders( 1) 
			 2000-01 708 100 
			 2001-02 679 95 
			 2002-03 728 119 
			 2003-04 765 174 
			 2004-05 769 159 
			 2005-06 652 212 
		
	
	When offenders do not comply with the conditions outlined in a community based sanction, they may be returned to court for breach proceedings.
	The following table specifies the number of breach proceedings initiated against individuals subject to Community Service and Combination Orders.
	
		
			  Number of breaches initiated for Community Service and Combination Orders (2000-01 to 2005-06) 
			  Breaches  Community Service Orders  Combination Orders( 1) 
			 2000-01 301 49 
			 2001-02 238 41 
			 2002-03 211 0 
			 2003-04 153 47 
			 2004-05 178 46 
			 2005-06 132 36 
			 (1) A Combination Order is a sentence that combines a Probation Order and a Community Service Order. 
		
	
	The Probation Board has implemented an electronic case management system to record details of those subject to community supervision. This database has been operational across the PBNI from June 2006. Prior to June 2006, the Probation Board did not centrally collate the outcome of breach proceedings.

Community Service

Lady Hermon: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many hours of community service were carried out by offenders in Northern Ireland in each of the last six years.

David Hanson: I am advised by the Probation Board for Northern Ireland that the numbers of hours of unpaid work to which offenders are sentenced in respect of community service and combination orders is as shown in the following table.
	
		
			  Number of hours unpaid work sentenced in court (2000-01 to 2005-06)( 1) 
			   Community service and combination orders( 2) 
			 2000-01 105,500 
			 2001-02 100,500 
			 2002-03 100,000 
			 2003-04 141,000 
			 2004-05 118,500 
			 2005-06 108,000 
			 (1) The statistics shown in the table provide the number of hours imposed by the court on those subject to community service and combination orders respectively. In a small number of cases, for example, if an order was breached and then revoked, the hours may not have been completed. The figures provided have been rounded to the nearest 500 hours per year.  (2) A combination order is a sentence that combines a probation order and a community service order.

Complementary Medicine

Lady Hermon: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland which organisations and individuals are involved in developing the pilot scheme on complementary and alternative therapies in Northern Ireland; and if he will make a statement.

Paul Goggins: My Department has convened a steering group which will bring together a number of key stakeholders whose role will be to guide and monitor the successful implementation of the pilot scheme. The group's first meeting will be in April. Get Well UK, the organisation administering the pilot on behalf of the DHSSPS, will report to the steering group on a regular basis.
	In addition to staff from the DHSSPS, the steering group will have representatives from
	Health and Social Services Boards;
	Health and Social Services Council;
	The General Osteopathic Council;
	British Acupuncture Council;
	British Chiropractic Association;
	Northern Ireland Association of Homeopaths;
	Federation of Holistic Therapists/Aromatherapy Council;
	General Practitioner Committee (BMA NI)
	The Prince's Foundation for Integrated Health.

Complementary Medicine

Lady Hermon: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what plans he has to extend the pilot scheme in which patients can receive complementary and alternative therapies across Northern Ireland; and what assessment he has made of the take-up of complementary and alternative therapies in the areas where the scheme is being piloted.

Paul Goggins: A full independent evaluation of the pilot scheme will be carried out and will help inform any future decisions about the availability of complementary and alternative therapies in Northern Ireland.
	Although the pilot is still at a very early stage, I have been encouraged by the progress made so far. The first patient was seen on 6 March and since then the pilot has received 101 patient referrals from GPs56 from the Belfast pilot and 45 from Londonderry. A total of 79 referrals have been for patients suffering from musculoskeletal problems and 22 have involved mental health problems.

Council Tax

Michael Gove: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what the outturn effective tax rate (ETR) being charged in each council will be in Northern Ireland from April 2007; and what the average council ETR will be in Northern Ireland.

David Cairns: Individual district councils are responsible for determining the effective tax rate or district rates for both domestic and non-domestic properties. The 2007-08 rates for each council and the average rates for Northern Ireland are set out in the following table.
	
		
			  Pence 
			  District  c ouncil  Non-Domestic Rate( 1)  Domestic Rate( 2) 
			 Antrim 21.5586 0.2875 
			 Ards 19.8840 0.2409 
			 Armagh 23.5527 0.3174 
			 Ballymena 20.8049 0.2874 
			 Ballymoney 21.5659 0.2768 
			 Banbridge 22.5907 0.3003 
			 Belfast 21.1641 0.2423 
			 Carrickfergus 21.8348 0.2986 
			 Castlereagh 15.5642 0.1871 
			 Coleraine 18.9978 0.2506 
			 Cookstown 19.3003 0.2444 
			 Craigavon 21.8620 0.3395 
			 Deny 23.2804 0.3365 
			 Down 21.7020 0.2873 
			 Dungannon and South Tyrone 18.7035 0.2284 
			 Fermanagh 14.7191 0.2032 
			 Larne 21.9370 0.3236 
			 Limavady 22.8353 0.3335 
			 Lisburn 17.3615 0.2275 
			 Magherafelt 17.5397 0.2214 
			 Moyle 26.2998 0.3245 
			 Newry and Mourne 19.5449 0.2672 
			 Newtownabbey 22.1185 0.2832 
			 North Down 16.5433 0.2235 
			 Omagh 19.9548 0.3243 
			 Strabane 19.9891 0.2937 
			 Average rates 20.2682 0.2677 
			 (1) Net Annual Values (NAV) were applied in the calculation of non-domestic rates. (2) Capital values were applied in the calculation of domestic rates.

Creative Youth Partnerships Programme

Mark Durkan: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many children took part in the Creative Youth Partnerships programme; what plans are in place to resource the programme in the future; and if he will make a statement on the performance of the programme against the objectives his Department has set for it.

Maria Eagle: From April 2004 to September 2006, 38,813 children and young people participated in Creative Youth Partnership programmes.
	The three-year pilot scheme was due to conclude at the end of March 2007, but funding has been secured to extend the pilot for a further year at existing levels of activity.
	The Department of Culture, Art, and Leisure will be bidding for funding for Creative Youth Partnerships in the 2007 Comprehensive Spending Review and the future of the programme will be dependent on the outcome of this.
	The programme has been evaluated by the Education and Training Inspectorate and the report on this will be published shortly. Early indications are that good progress has been made in meeting the overall objectives of the Creative Youth Partnerships initiative and that the Inspectorate recommends the continuation of the programme, as it enhances and supports the education of children and young people.

Departments: Advertising

Oliver Heald: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how much his Department spent on  (a) sponsoring newspaper or publication supplements and  (b) funding advertorials in newspapers or publications, in the last year for which figures are available; and what the topic was of each.

Peter Hain: The Northern Ireland Office has only sponsored one newspaper supplement in 2006-07; this was the Organised Crime Task Force Annual Report Summary Leaflet the cost of which was 21,992.57. The Northern Ireland Office has not funded any advertorials in this period.

Departments: Consultants

Lady Hermon: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland which external consultants were used by each Northern Ireland Government Department and its associated agencies in each of the past six years; and what the  (a) hourly rate and  (b) overall cost was in each case.

David Hanson: The information requested is not held centrally in the format requested. However, I refer the hon. Lady to the reply I gave the hon. Member for South Down (Mr. McGrady) on 19 February 2007,  Official Report, column 555W, which contains information on the overall expenditure on consultants by each Northern Ireland Department over the last five years.
	I have also placed in the Library a list of the recipients of consultancy fees paid by each of the 11 Departments of the Northern Ireland Administration and the Northern Ireland Office (excluding agencies and non-departmental public bodies) in respect of the years 2002-03 to 2004-05.

Departments: Pressure Groups

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what meetings took place between Ministers in his Department and outside interest groups between 1 January and 31 March; and what the date was of each such meeting.

Peter Hain: Ministers and civil servants meet a large number of people and groups in the course of their official duties. To extract this information from the diaries for all Ministers in my Department would exceed the disproportionate cost threshold.

Departments: Work Permits

Nicholas Clegg: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many work permits were applied for by his Department and its agencies in each of the last five years.

Peter Hain: No work permits have been applied for by the Northern Ireland Office or its agencies in each of the last five years.

Desmond Clayton

David Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland why his Department gave prior approval to the Northern Ireland Police Fund to make a severance payment to Mr. Desmond Clayton.

Paul Goggins: The Department considered the issue carefully, drawing on its own legal advice and discussing it with the accounting officer. Given the status of the Northern Ireland Police Fund as both a company limited by guarantee and an executive NDPB, matters relating to its operation including payments are a matter for the board of directors of the fund.

Desmond Clayton

David Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how much his Department approved for payment by the Northern Ireland Police Fund by way of severance payment for Mr. Desmond Clayton.

Paul Goggins: Given the status of the Northern Ireland Police Fund as both a company limited by guarantee and an executive NDPB, matters relating to its operation including payments are a matter for the board of directors of the fund.

Desmond Clayton

David Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what reason the Northern Ireland Police Fund gave to his Department for its request to approve a severance payment for Mr. Desmond Clayton.

Paul Goggins: After careful consideration and legal advice the NIO concluded that the impact on the working relationships between the chief executive, the fund's directors and the clients was such that the work of the fund was likely to have been adversely affected by his continued employment.

Diabetes

Iris Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what steps have been taken to develop a diabetes services framework for the Province.

Paul Goggins: A framework for the development of services for people with diabetes, produced by a joint CREST/Diabetes UK Taskforce, was published in June 2003. The framework contained a wide range of recommendations and each of the four Health and Social Services Boards have local implementation groups to take forward the detailed planning and implementation of the framework. The Department has also established a Regional Diabetes Steering Group with representation from the four boards and Diabetes UK to oversee and monitor progress.

Doctors: Pay

Iris Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what the average annual earnings are of a full-time  (a) general practitioner and  (b) consultant psychiatrist in the Province.

Paul Goggins: Following the introduction of the new UK wide General Medical Services (GMS) contract with effect from 1 April 2004, the contract for the provision of General Medical Services is between the relevant Health and Social Services Board and a GMS practice rather than individual GPs. Under the contract, each GMS practice receives payment for services and can generate income through a number of streams, some of which are core and some in which participation is a matter of choice for the practice concerned. It is a matter for each GMS practice to determine how its services are organised and how the funding it receives is allocated between GP remuneration and practice expenses, including the employment of staff and other overheads.
	Information is collected across the four countries on health service funding for GP practices and on the expenses to earnings split, based on audited accounts. The final information for the first year of the contract, (2004-05) has not yet been agreed at a UK level nor has it been disaggregated on a country by country basis) Consequently, an accurate assessment of GP earnings in NI under the new contract is not yet available
	The average annual earnings in Northern Ireland of a consultant psychiatrist is 100,300.

Doctors: Training

Iris Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what steps have been taken to improve the work-life balance of senior house officers seeking training posts.

Paul Goggins: The Department's Improving Junior Doctors' Working Lives Implementation Support Group (ISO) continues to work to ensure compliance with the European working time directive and new deal. The Northern Ireland Medical and Dental Training Agency (NIMDTA) also fully supports less than full-time training.

Doctors: Training

Iris Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what estimate he has made of the number of junior doctors in the Province who will be unable to obtain training posts in August 2007.

Paul Goggins: The Department of Health has instigated a review of recruitment and selection for specialist training. Until the findings of this review have been implemented, the number of junior doctors unable to obtain training posts in the province cannot be determined.

Doctors: Training

Iris Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what steps are being taken to assist experienced senior house officers in the Province in obtaining specialist training.

Paul Goggins: The Northern Ireland Medical and Dental Training Agency (NIMDTA) organised four workshops for experienced SHO's to advise them on the new recruitment process.

Domestic Rates

Caroline Spelman: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what the timetable is for  (a) local authorities to finalise their district rate for 2007-08,  (b) finalising the level of the regional rate for 2007-08 and  (c) the posting of domestic rates bills to local authorities; and on which day in April 2007 liability starts for the new domestic rates bills.

David Hanson: The information requested is as follows:
	(a) The table of district rates for 2007-08 was published on 16 February 2007;
	(b) The Rates (Regional Rates) Order (Northern Ireland) 2007 was made on 29 January 2007;
	(c) Rate bills are not posted to local authorities; and
	(d) Rate liability for domestic property is effective from 1 April of each year.

Domestic Rates: Valuation

Caroline Spelman: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland whether the capital value of a domestic property which is part of another property and has a dependent relative living in it is added to the capital value of the main domestic property when the domestic property is valued for domestic rates under the new discrete capital values system.

David Hanson: Each separate property has a capital value assessment in the Valuation List irrespective of occupier.

Domestic Rates: Valuation

Caroline Spelman: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what co-efficient value was given to the property attribute for adjoining a golf course in each of the 25 market areas in the Valuation and Lands Agency calibrated multiple regression formula used in domestic rates revaluation in Northern Ireland.

David Hanson: Belfast is the only market area which has a co-efficient allocated to the property attribute for adjoining a golf course and the value of this co-efficient is 0.083.

Domestic Rates: Valuation

Caroline Spelman: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what fine may be imposed on residents who do not fill in a questionnaire sent by the Valuation and Lands Agency asking for information on the property attributes of their residence.

David Hanson: The Valuation and Lands Agency has not sent and is not contemplating sending a questionnaire to residents asking for information on the property attributes of their residence.

Domestic Waste: Republic of Ireland

Caroline Spelman: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what estimate has been made of the amount of household waste illegally dumped in Northern Ireland originating from the Republic of Ireland in  (a) 2004,  (b) 2005 and  (c) 2006.

David Cairns: The Environment and Heritage Service estimates that a minimum of 250,000 tonnes of household waste from the Republic of Ireland has been illegally disposed of in Northern Ireland since 2003. Given the clandestine and criminal nature of the activity, it is impossible to accurately quantify the extent of this activity on an annual basis. Material illegally landfilled in the period 2003-06 is still being discovered. To date, over 50 illegal landfill sites have been discovered in Northern Ireland containing waste originating from the Republic of Ireland.

Educational Psychology

Mark Durkan: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what the average length of time a child will wait to see an educational psychologist is in each health and social services board area in Northern Ireland.

Maria Eagle: The chief executive officers of the education and library boards state that this information is only available in relation to their own areas and not in relation to health and social services board areas.
	I refer the hon. Gentleman to the reply I gave the hon. Member for Strangford (Mrs. Robinson) on 23 February 2007,  Official Report, column 983W.

Educational Psychology

Mark Durkan: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many children are waiting to see an educational psychologist in each health and social services board area in Northern Ireland.

Maria Eagle: The chief executives of the education and library boards state that this information is only available in relation to their own areas and not in relation to health and social services board areas.
	The following numbers of children are waiting to see educational psychologists.
	
		
			   Number 
			 Belfast education and library board 458 
			 North Eastern education and library board 675 
			 Western education and library board 280 
			 Southern education and library board 588 
			 South Eastern education and library board 719 
		
	
	These figures are in regard to children with a variety of need, including stage 3 (non-statutory assessments) and stage 4 (statutory assessments) of the Code of Practice on the Identification and Assessment of Special Educational Needs, reviews at stage 3 and stage 5 of the code of practice, special testing at transfer stage between (primary and post-primary, pre-school and examination arrangements.

Excise Duties: Motor Vehicles

Lady Hermon: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many tax discs were issued in Northern Ireland in each of the last six years, broken down by vehicle category.

David Cairns: The following table shows the numbers of vehicles licensed in Northern Ireland at the 31 December for the last six years, for which vehicles are currently available, broken down by vehicle category.
	
		
			  Vehicle category  2000  2001  2002  2003  2004  2005 
			 Private Light Goods (cars and light vans) 615,180 644,968 666,731 711,913 737,198 765,061 
			 Motorcycles and mopeds 14,116 15,205 17,598 23,820 24,533 25,998 
			 HGV 17,864 19,415 20,244 22,100 23,062 23,517 
			 Bus 2,266 2,315 2,322 2,353 2,378 2,566 
			 Agricultural Tractors 5,048 4,901 5,731 7,503 8,674 9,584 
			 Other 1,287 1,366 1,347 1,671 1,794 1,898 
			 Crown Vehicles 3,822 6,427 6,383 6,172 6,116 6,367 
			 Exempt Vehicles 71,147 72,708 74,121 77,210 79,506 82,408 
			 Total 730,730 767,305 794,477 852,742 883,261 917,399

Fly-tipping

Jeffrey M Donaldson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what co-operation there has been with the Irish Government on tackling the problem of cross-border illegal dumping.

David Cairns: Bilateral meetings have been held at ministerial level to discuss matters of mutual interest and the illegal movement of waste has been identified as a key area of concern.
	Officials from the Department of the Environment are working closely with counterparts in the Department of the Environment, Heritage and Local Government (DOEHLG) to finalise a structured plan to deal with existing illegal waste dumped in Northern Ireland originating from Ireland and to prevent possible future illegal waste movements. The plan envisages co-operative operations involving enforcement authorities and, where appropriate, repatriation of waste from Ireland illegally dumped in Northern Ireland.
	Officers from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) have attended Northern Ireland operations in which waste from Ireland has been identified. Officers from DOE have also been witnesses in EPA prosecution cases heard in Irish courts.
	In January 2007, the Environment and Heritage Service, in conjunction with counterparts from the EPA, supervised the return of illegally deposited waste to Ireland from an illegal landfill in Co. Armagh, where an estimated 150 tonnes of commercial/household waste had been deposited.

Fly-tipping

Caroline Spelman: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many reports of fly-tipping were received by the Environment and Heritage Service in  (a) 2004,  (b) 2005 and  (c) 2006.

David Cairns: The Environment and Heritage Service (EHS) holds details of alleged illegal or unauthorised waste activities. It does not have figures for fly-tipping, which, although not legally defined, has in the past been used to describe largely domestic, low- quantity incidents. Such small-scale cases are generally dealt with by district councils.
	The EHS is currently implementing the Flycapture software used by the Environment Agency to facilitate a consistent approach to the impact of fly-tipping across the UK, and is liaising with councils to encourage their use of the system. Flycapture records all incidents of illegal dumping, from a single black bin liner up to sites with thousands of tonnes of waste. This will allow the problem to be quantified, and enforcement, clean-up activities and budgets to be directed to areas of greatest need.
	The EHS received the following number of allegations of illegal or unauthorised activities relating to controlled waste.
	
		
			   Number 
			 2004 1,256 
			 2005 1,339 
			 2006 1,436

Graffiti

Lady Hermon: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how much was spent on removing graffiti in each local authority area in Northern Ireland in each of the last six years for which figures are available.

David Cairns: The Department of the Environment does not hold information on the cost of removing graffiti in Northern Ireland.

Health and Social Services Authority

Iris Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what assessment he has made of the merits of separating the Health and Social Services Authority functions from the Department of Health, Social Services and Public Safety.

Paul Goggins: Under the proposed new arrangements, the Department will retain statutory responsibility for securing the delivery of the services necessary to promote the health and wellbeing of the population. The role of the authority will be to implement the Government's policies for health and social services, to manage performance of the system and to commission services to meet the demands of patients. These roles are not appropriate to a central Government Department. The new, much smaller DHSSPS will be able to focus on assisting the Minister with policy, legislation and strategic planning and resource allocation. This separation of roles within the new organisational arrangements will lead to clearer accountability, improved efficiency and better outcomes from more responsive, person-centred services.

Hearing Aids

Alasdair McDonnell: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what the  (a) target and  (b) actual average waiting time is for people requiring a new digital hearing aid from the point of referral from GP to final fitting of the hearing aid in Northern Ireland.

Paul Goggins: Audiology is one of the areas subject to the new diagnostic targets set out in Priorities for Action 2007-08, which states that no patient should have to wait longer than 13 weeks for a diagnostic test. Therefore, the target for people requiring a new digital hearing aid from the point of referral from GP to final fitting of the hearing aid will be 13 weeks in Northern Ireland.
	Information on the average waiting time for a new digital hearing aid from the point of referral from GP to final fitting of the aid in Northern Ireland is not collected centrally. However, information is collected on the number of people who were waiting for a hearing aid assessment/reassessment to be completed according to specified time bands. Waiting time is counted from the date a referral is received by the audiology department until the aid is fitted.
	As waiting list information is collected by specified time bands, it is not possible to calculate the actual average waiting time for a digital hearing aid. On 31 March 2006, 2,184 patients were waiting for a hearing assessment / reassessment in Northern Ireland; 1,089 had waited for six to 12 months, 563 for less than three months, 420 waited three to six months, and 112 for 12 months or more.
	Information on hearing aid assessments / reassessments for the quarters ending 30 June, 30 September and 31 December 2006 is due for release in early May 2007. It has been delayed until inconsistencies and validation errors are resolved with audiology departments in Northern Ireland.

Irish Language

John Spellar: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland pursuant to the answer of 19 February 2007,  Official Report, column 562W, what his Department's estimate is of the cost of implementing an Irish Language Bill.

Maria Eagle: It has been estimated that in the 2008-09 financial year, the first full year after any Irish Language Bill becomes law, total expenditure by Northern Ireland Departments on the Irish language could be in the region of 12.55 million. This represents an increase over existing expenditure of approximately 2.81 million.

Macular Degeneration

Iris Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what estimate he has made of the number of people  (a) diagnosed with age-related macular degeneration and  (b) who develop blindness each year as the result of age-related macular degeneration in the Province.

Paul Goggins: An estimate of the number of people diagnosed with age-related macular degeneration is not available. However, the number of admissions to hospital where the patient had a diagnosis of macular degeneration is available and is detailed in the following table.
	
		
			   Admissions( 1) 
			 2005-06 438 
			 (1) Discharges and deaths are used as an approximation to admissions.  Source:  Hospital Inpatient System. 
		
	
	An estimate of the number of patients who develop blindness each year as the result of age-related macular degeneration in the Province is not available.

Motor Vehicles

Lady Hermon: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what estimate he has made of the number of vehicles registered in the Republic of Ireland which used roads in Northern Ireland in each of the last six years.

David Cairns: The Chief Executive of Roads Service (Dr, Malcolm McKibbin) has been asked to write to the hon. Lady in response to this question.
	 Letter from Dr. Malcolm McKibbi n,  dated 3 April 2007:
	You recently asked the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland a parliamentary question regarding, what estimate he has made of the number of vehicles registered in the Republic of Ireland which used roads in Northern Ireland in each of the last six years. As Chief Executive of Roads Service, I have been asked to reply.
	I should explain that Roads Service collects data on the volume of traffic on Northern Ireland's roads to help contribute to the effective management of the road network and to help with the development of future road improvements. This data is collected via some 270 automatic traffic counting sites located on roads across Northern Ireland. This information is published in our annual Traffic and Travel Information Report, copies of which will be placed in the House of Commons Library shortly. The automatic traffic counting sites use loops cut into the road surface to detect vehicles as they pass. They provide details of the number of vehicles broken down into five classes (cars, light vans, articulated lorries etc).
	The majority of the main ('A' Class) border roads have an automatic counting site, but it is not possible from the information provided by these to determine the country of registration of a vehicle. Therefore it is not possible to make an estimate of the number of vehicles registered in the Republic of Ireland which used roads in Northern Ireland, from this source of information.
	In order to ascertain the number of vehicles registered in the Republic of Ireland using roads in Northern Ireland each year, it would be necessary to carry out a survey that noted the registration numbers of vehicles passing various points. Roads Service currently does not carry out this type of survey and has no plans to do so.
	My officials also consulted with other relevant Departments, but it would appear that they do not collect the information you requested either.

National Institute for Health and Clinical Guidance

Iris Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland who is responsible for decisions on  (a) applicability and  (b) implementation of National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence guidance in Northern Ireland.

Paul Goggins: Decisions on the application of NICE guidance in Northern Ireland are a matter for the Department of Health, Social Services and Public Safety. The Department also sets timescales for health and social care organisations to put plans in place to facilitate implementation of NICE technology appraisal guidance. Responsibility for implementation of NICE guidance rests with the Health and Social Care.

New Businesses

Lady Hermon: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what total amount of business start-up assistance was provided to  (a) male applicants,  (b) female applicants and  (c) ethnic minority applicants in Northern Ireland in each year since 2000.

Maria Eagle: Information on applicants for business start-up assistance by gender and ethnic group is only available since April 2002 for those supported through the Northern Ireland Start a Business programme.
	Table 1 provides information relating to offers made through the Start a Business programme by gender of applicant over the period April 2002 - March 2006.
	
		
			  Table 1 
			   2002-03  2003-04  2004-05  2005-06  Total 
			 Female 511,750 671,000 1,026,750 696,900 2,906,400 
			 Male 942,500 1,187,500 1,598,000 894,050 4,622,050 
			 Total 1,454,250 1,858,500 2,624,750 1,590,950 7,528,450 
		
	
	Table 2 provides information relating to these offers by ethnic origin.
	
		
			  Table 2 
			   2002-03  2003-04  2004-05  2005-06  Total 
			 White 1,441,750 1,838,750 2,593,750 1,510,950 7,385,200 
			 Other ethnic groups and undisclosed 12,500 19,750 31,000 80,000 143,250 
			 Total 1,454,250 1,858,500 2,624,750 1,590,950 7,528,450 
			 Other ethnic groups include Bangladeshi, Black African, Black Caribbean, Chinese, Indian, mixed ethnic groups, other ethnic groups and Pakistani.

North South Implementation Bodies

Nigel Dodds: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland when the Government signed off the financial memorandum relating to each cross-border body established in consequence of the Belfast Agreement.

David Hanson: The Financial Memoranda (FM) for each cross border body established in consequence of the Belfast Agreement were signed off by Government as shown in the following table.
	
		
			  Cross-border Body  Date FM signed off 
			 Special EU Programmes Body (SEUPB) December 1999 
			 Language Body (Foras na Gaeilge/Ulster Scots Agency) September 2000 
			 Loughs Agency (FCILC) April 2005 - draft in place from 2000 
			 Food Safety Promotion Board (FSPB) December 1999 
			 Tourism Ireland Limited (TIL) July 2001 
			 Intertrade Ireland (ITI) December 1999 
			 Waterways Ireland December 1999

North South Implementation Bodies

Nigel Dodds: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland whether the Government are satisfied with the financial and equality provisions in place in respect of cross-border bodies established in consequence of the Belfast Agreement; and whether these correspond with the requirements placed on non-cross-border public bodies within Northern Ireland.

David Hanson: I am satisfied with the arrangements relating to financial and equality provisions in place in respect of those cross-border bodies established in consequence of the Belfast Agreement and that they are comparable to those placed on other non-cross-border public bodies in Northern Ireland.

North South Implementation Bodies

Nigel Dodds: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland whether employees from Northern Ireland working within the cross-border bodies, established in consequence of the Belfast Agreement are subject to the Government's public sector pay policy.

David Hanson: The cross-border bodies are accountable to the North/South Ministerial Council and are jointly funded by the Northern Ireland public expenditure system and the Irish Government. Northern Ireland staff employed in the cross-border bodies generally follow the NICS pay award and their pay growth is considered, with due regard to public sector pay policy, as part of the business planning process. For these reasons cross-border bodies are currently outside the formal HM Treasury pay remits process.

North South Implementation Bodies

Nigel Dodds: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what sub-groups operate  (a) under and  (b) within the cross-border bodies established in consequence of the Belfast Agreement.

David Hanson: Details of sub-groups operating  (a) under and  (b) within the cross-border bodies established in consequence of the Belfast Agreement are provided in the following table.
	
		
			  Name of Body  Sub-groups operating under the body  Sub-groups operating within the body 
			 Waterways Ireland Audit Committee Directors Group 
			  Marketing Advisory Group Management Consultative Group 
			   Regional Managers Forum 
			   Health and Safety Committee 
			   Regional Safety Committee 
			   Organisational Review Steering Group 
			   Policy Steering Group 
			   Equality steering Group 
			   Internal Equality Consultation Group 
			   Industrial Relations Forum 
			   Partnership Forum with following sub-groups: Customer Services sub-group; Merit Award sub-group; Time Banking sub-group; Review of Partnership sub-group. 
			   NTSN Steering Group 
			   Bye-Laws Working Group 
			   Purchase Order Procedures Group 
			   IT Steering Group 
			   Assets Steering Group 
			   Personal Injuries Assessment Board Group 
			
			 Trade and Business Development BodyInterTrade Ireland FUSION Steering Committee Board Audit Committee 
			  Equity Network Steering Committee Board Equality Sub-Committee 
			  Acumen Management Committee Board Human Resources Sub-Committee 
			  BioMed Ireland Steering Committee Board Communications Sub-Committee 
			  All Island Software Network Steering Committee  
			  All Island Polymer and Plastics Steering Committee  
			  All Island Learning Networks Steering Committee  
			  MicroTrade Steering Group  
			  FOCUS Steering Committee  
			  INNOVA Steering Committee  
			  Expertise Ireland Steering Group  
			
			 The Food Safety Promotion Board None FSPB Advisory Board 
			   FSPS Scientific Advisory Committee 
			   Internal Audit Committee 
			 Language BodyUlster Scots Agency  Internal Audit Committee 
			
			 Language BodyForas na Gaeilge  Internal Audit Committee 
			   Policy Committee 
			   Grants Committee 
			   Appeal Committee 
			   Newspaper and Magazines Committee 
			   Remuneration Committee 
			
			 The Foyle, Carlingford and Irish Lights Commission Loughs Agency Marine Tourism Sub-Committee 
			   Audit, Finance and Personnel Sub-Committee 
			   Shellfish and Aquaculture Sub-Committee 
			   Salmon and Inland Fisheries Sub-Committee 
			   Advisory Forum 
			   Marine Tourism including Water Based Leisure Focus Group 
			   Shellfish and Aquaculture Focus Group 
			   Environmental Focus Group 
			   Salmon and Inland Fisheries Focus Group 
			   Foyle and Carlingford Fisheries Bill 
			   Consultation Focus Group 
			
			 Tourism Ireland Tourism Marketing Partnership Risk Management Committee 
			  Industry Steering Groups Nomination and Remuneration Committee 
			
			 Special EU Programmes Body Antrim Local Strategy Partnership Audit Committee 
			  Ards Local Strategy Partnership  
			  Armagh Local Strategy Partnership  
			  Ballymena Local Strategy Partnership  
			  Ballymoney Local Strategy Partnership  
			  Banbridge Local Strategy Partnership  
			  Belfast Local Strategy Partnership  
			  Border Action  
			  Carrickfergus Local Strategy Partnership  
			  Castlereagh Local Strategy Partnership  
			  Coleraine Local Strategy Partnership  
			  COMET INTERREG IIIA Partnership  
			  Community Foundation for Northern Ireland (CFNI)  
			  Community Relations Council (CRC)  
			  Co-operation and Working Together (CAWT)  
			  Co-operation Ireland  
			  Cookstown Local Strategy Partnership  
			  Craigavon Local Strategy Partnership  
			  Derry Local Strategy Partnership  
			  Down District Local Strategy Partnership  
			  East Border Region INTERREG IIIA Partnership  
			  Educational Guidance Service for Adults (EGSA)  
			  Fermanagh Local Strategy Partnership  
			  Irish Central Area Border Network INTERREG IIIA Partnership  
			  Larne Local Strategy Partnership  
			  Limavady Local Strategy Partnership  
			  Lisburn Local Strategy Partnership  
			  Magherafelt Local Strategy Partnership  
			  Moyle Local Strategy Partnership  
			  Newry and Mourne Local Strategy Partnership  
			  Newtownabbey Local Strategy Partnership  
			  North Down Local Strategy Partnership  
			  North East INTERREG IIIA Partnership  
			  North West Region Cross Border INTERREG IIIA Partnership  
			  NIPPAthe Early Years Organisation  
			  Omagh Local Strategy Partnership  
			  Playboard  
			  PROTEUS  
			  Rural Development Council (RDC)  
			  South Tyrone Area Partnership  
			  Strabane Local Strategy Partnership  
			  Training for Women Network (TWN)  
			  Youth Education Social Inclusion Partnership (YESIP)

North South Implementation Bodies

Nigel Dodds: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how much was spent by his Department on  (a) the North/South Language Body and  (b) the Ulster-Scots Agency in each year since its formation.

Maria Eagle: The amount of funding from the Department of Culture, Arts and Leisure for the North/South Language Body and the Ulster-Scots Agency each year since its formation is shown in the following table.
	
		
			   million 
			   North South language body  Ulster-Scots Agency 
			 2000 2.303 0.5 
			 2001 3.5 0.97 
			 2002 3.71 1.07 
			 2003 4.005 1.155 
			 2004 4.561 1.337 
			 2005 4.599 1.357 
			 2006 5.095 1.61

North South Implementation Bodies

Nigel Dodds: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many people are employed by the  (a) North/South Language Body and  (b) Ulster- Scots Agency; and what the source of the funding for these posts is.

Maria Eagle: The number of people employed by the North/South Language Body and the Ulster-Scots Agency and their source of funding is shown in the following table.
	
		
			   Number of staff  Funding source 
			 North/South Language Body (Foras na Gaeilge and Ulster- Scots Agency) 54 (permanent) Sponsoring Departments (Department of Culture, Arts and Leisure in NI, and Department of Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs in the Republic of Ireland) 
			  2 (secondees)  
			  4 (temporary)  
			  3 (project) Special European Union Programme Body 
			 Total 63  
			
			 Ulster-Scots Agency 11 Sponsoring Departments Fixed Term appointments 
			  3 SEUPB project 
			 Total 14

North South Implementation Bodies

Nigel Dodds: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what the budget of the  (a) North/South Language Body and  (b) Ulster-Scots Agency was in (i) 2004-05, (ii) 2005-06 and (iii) 2006-07.

Maria Eagle: The financial year for all the North-South implementation bodies is the calendar year. The budgets for the 2004, 2005 and 2006 years are shown in the following table.
	
		
			   million 
			   2004  2005  2006 
			 North/South Language Body 14.683 14.777 15. 837 
			 Ulster-Scots Agency 1.784 1.809 2. 132

Northern Ireland Executive: Departmental Co-ordination

Lady Hermon: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what assessment he has made of the extent of data sharing across Northern Ireland's Government Departments and agencies.

David Hanson: While there has been no formal assessment of the extent of data sharing across Northern Ireland's Departments and agencies to date, it is recognised that there is a need for Northern Ireland Departments and agencies to share data where it is necessary to carry out the normal business of the Department.
	Indeed, there are already some pockets of data-sharing excellence in areas as diverse as the Causeway programme, a joint enterprise within the criminal justice system where electronically shared information is improving business process and performance, and the Northern Ireland Mapping Agreement which supplies the Ordnance Survey Northern Ireland product range, including the Pointer database, to all NICS Departments, agencies and non-departmental public bodies, including local councils.

Orchestras: Finance

Iris Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how much funding he plans to provide for the Ulster Orchestra in 2007-08; and how much funding was provided in each of the last five years.

Maria Eagle: Funding provided by the Arts Council of Northern Ireland to the Ulster Orchestra in each of the last five years including the planned allocation for 2007-08 is shown in the following table.
	
		
			
			 2002-03 1,344,000 
			 2003-04 1,690,000 
			 2004-05 1,740,000 
			 2005-06 1,892,921 
			 2006-07 1,925,113 
			 2007-08 1,925,113

Outdoor Advertising

Sammy Wilson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will take steps to introduce measures in Northern Ireland of equivalent effect to the Town and Country Planning (Control of Advertisements) (England) Regulations 2007.

David Cairns: I am presently considering whether equivalent regulations to the Town and Country Planning (Control of Advertisements) (England) Regulations 2007 should be introduced in Northern Ireland. However, given the imminent return to a devolved Administration in May, the decision on whether to introduce such measures would be a matter for the Northern Ireland Executive.

Planning

Alasdair McDonnell: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many enforcement officers  (a) are employed by the planning division in Northern Ireland and  (b) were employed in each of the last five years.

David Cairns: The Department of the Environment's Planning Service currently employs 45 enforcement officers. The number of enforcement officers employed in the previous three years is shown in the following table. Prior to 2004, a separate staff complement for enforcement officers was not maintained as enforcement staff were counted as part of the overall divisional development control staff complement.
	
		
			  As at March each year  Number of enforcement officers 
			 2006 51 
			 2005 46 
			 2004 56 
		
	
	The total staff complement for enforcement is 57. The Planning Service intends to appoint additional staff in the near future to increase the current total to the full complement following a recent recruitment and promotion exercise.

Planning

Alasdair McDonnell: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what the budget  (a) is for the planning division for enforcement officers for the 2006-07 financial year and  (b) was in the 2005-06 financial year.

David Cairns: While the Planning Service does not hold budgets for costs at this level, actual expenditure for enforcement officers for the  (a) 2006-07 financial year is estimated to be 1.53 million and  (b) 2005-06 financial year was 1.38 million.

Planning

Eddie McGrady: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what action is being taken to deal with the backlog of cases at the Planning Appeals Commission.

David Hanson: The Commission secured an increase in complement to 21 full-time commissioners, from 17, in August 2006, and continues to utilise panel commissioners who are paid on a fee by case basis and has put forward a business case for a further increase in resources.
	In an attempt to ensure that further increases in delays to the determination of appeals are minimised, the Commission has advised the Department of the Environment that it will likely have to constrain its involvement in progressing examinations or inquiries and has limited the Department to referring no more than two of these to run concurrently.

Police Service of Northern Ireland: Redundancy Pay

David Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland 
	(1)  what details were passed to his Department by the Northern Ireland Police Fund regarding the dismissal of Mr. Desmond Clayton;
	(2)  whether details of severance packages paid to members of staff at the Northern Ireland Police Fund are among the issues his Department discusses with the Fund as part of standard corporate governance arrangements.

Paul Goggins: As part of the standard corporate governance arrangements regular meetings are held and correspondence exchanged on a range of issues relating to the business of the Northern Ireland Police Fund.

Prescriptions: Fees and Charges

Iris Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what discussions were held with the Northern Ireland Pharmaceutical Contractors Committee before reducing the negotiated fee for multiple dispensed prescription items.

Paul Goggins: The rate of multiple dispensing fees has formed part of various discussions and negotiations with the Pharmaceutical Contractors' Committee (PCC) over several years.
	The Department recently withdrew its letter of 26 January 2007 and reinstated the rate of all fees to their former levels for 2006-07, pending the outcome of ongoing negotiations with the PCC. The February clawback will be reversed and repaid in pharmacies in the March monthly payment.
	Recent discussions with PCC have led to meaningful progress towards resolution of multiple dispensing and medicines management issues which are part of ongoing negotiations on the new pharmacy contract.

Prisons: Northern Ireland

Lady Hermon: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many people from  (a) England,  (b) Scotland,  (c) Wales,  (d) the Republic of Ireland and  (e) overseas were held in each Northern Ireland prison in each of the last six years.

Paul Goggins: The following table has been compiled from the address given by the prisoner at the time of committal. To break down those classified as GB into individual countries would involve a disproportionate cost. The figures listed are from the last six years for which statistics are available. It is not currently possible to differentiate between overseas prisoners and those from Northern Ireland of no fixed address. However, since July 2006 foreign nationals have been recorded separately.
	
		
			  Prison receptions by address and establishment 
			   Establishment  
			  Address  Magilligan  Hydebank Wood (YOC)  Maghaberry (male)  Hydebank Wood (female)  Total 
			  2005  
			 Northern Ireland 450 1,284 3,420 279 5,433 
			 GB 11 5 55 7 78 
			 ROI 5 10 49 6 70 
			 Other/No fixed address 12 30 251 38 331 
			 Total 478 1,329 3,775 330 5,912 
			  2004  
			 Northern Ireland 460 1,263 3,081 298 5,102 
			 GB 8 2 52 6 68 
			 ROI 2 6 28 6 42 
			 Other/No fixed address 9 36 177 21 243 
			 Total 479 1,307 3,338 331 5,455 
			   
			  2003  
			 Northern Ireland 467 1,202 3,013 221 4,903 
			 GB 8 1 49 15 73 
			 ROI 5 10 44 10 69 
			 Other/No fixed address 15 47 176 26 264 
			 Total 495 1,260 3,282 272 5,309 
			   
			  2002  
			 Northern Ireland 405 1,168 2,758 212 4,543 
			 GB 5 7 40 3 55 
			 ROI 4 9 30 4 47 
			 Other/No fixed address 24 43 147 6 220 
			 Total 438 1,227 2,975 225 4,865 
			   
			  2001  
			 Northern Ireland 374 1,104 2,459 185 4,122 
			 GB 6 2 27 3 38 
			 ROI 3 7 20 2 32 
			 Other/No fixed address 30 48 140 6 224 
			 Total 413 1,161 2,646 196 4,416 
			   
			  2000  
			 Northern Ireland 484 1,223 2,878 224 4,809 
			 GB 11 6 40 3 60 
			 ROI 8 5 23 8 44 
			 Other/No fixed address 59 49 147 17 272 
			 Total 562 1,283 3,088 252 5,185

Pupils: Intimidation

Lady Hermon: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will take steps to ensure that education and library boards in Northern Ireland collect statistics on the incidences of bullying recorded in schools in Northern Ireland.

Maria Eagle: There are no plans at present to do so; however, information about the scale and nature of bullying in Northern Ireland schools will be contained in a research report, which will be published later this year.

Racial Hostility Offences

David Lidington: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland pursuant to the answer of 1 March 2006 to the hon. Member for Foyle,  Official Report, column 781W, on racial hostility offences, what progress has been made by the Government and enforcement and prosecution authorities in developing a mechanism to collect information on sentences imposed for offences motivated by hostility towards a person's race in relation to the Criminal Justice (No. 2) (Northern Ireland) Order 2004.

David Hanson: The Public Prosecution Service is currently in the process of identifying cases since late 2005 where, in the judgment of a Public Prosecutor, there was a racial motivation behind offences. This will enable the identification of sentences by the Court Service imposed for offences motivated by hostility towards a person's race. I will arrange for any information on sentences imposed to be forwarded when it is available.

Railways: Freight

Lady Hermon: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what steps he is taking to increase the amount of freight transported by rail in Northern Ireland.

David Cairns: Rail freight is uncompetitive for short journeys and for this reason rail freight operations ceased in Northern Ireland in 2004. There are no plans to revive them.

Rates and Rating

Lady Hermon: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what the eligibility criteria are for the new Northern Ireland special rate relief; and if he will make a statement.

David Hanson: The rules governing eligibility for the new Rate Relief Scheme are the same as those that apply to the existing Housing Benefit Rate Rebate system. That is, that the ratepayer is habitually resident and has recourse to public funds; is occupying the hereditament as their home; and is liable to pay rates in respect of the hereditament. The level of award depends on the individual circumstances of the claimant.

Regeneration: Belfast

Alasdair McDonnell: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what the expected completion date is for the Department for Social Development's appraisal of the proposal for redevelopment of the Greater Village Area.

David Hanson: Given the extent of the area and the cost associated with the proposed redevelopment, the appraisal will require careful scrutiny by Government. I would anticipate that this process will take some months to complete.

Roads: Bangor

Lady Hermon: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many accidents were recorded on the A2 Bangor to Belfast road in each of the last three years; and how long the road closed as a result in each case.

Paul Goggins: I have been advised by the PSNI of the following details in respect of accidents recorded on the A2 Bangor to Belfast Road. The following table shows injury road traffic collisions between the junctions of Knocknagoney Road and Abbey Street/Brunswick Road, Bangor. I have been advised that they do not record road closure times at accidents.
	
		
			  1 January 2004 to 31 December 2006 
			   Fatal collisions  Serious collisions  Slight collisions  All collisions  Killed  Seriously injured  Slightly injured  All casualties 
			 1 January to 31 December 2004 2 9 23 34 2 13 58 73 
			 1 January to 31 December 2005 1 5 32 38 1 8 52 61 
			 1 January to 31 December 2006(1) 2 6 39 47 2 6 77 85 
			 (1) Please note 2006 figures are still provisional.  Source: Central Statistics Unit, Police Service of Northern Ireland, Lisnasharragh 
		
	
	Due to ongoing validation, this information may be subject to change.

Roads: Bangor

Lady Hermon: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what recent assessment has been carried out by his Department of the adequacy of  (a) road safety (i) signage and (ii) measures and  (b) sightlines at Six Road Ends in Bangor.

David Cairns: The Chief Executive of Roads Service (Dr. Malcolm McKibbin) has been asked to write to the hon. Lady in response to this question.
	 Letter from Dr. Malcolm McKibbin , dated 3 April 2007:
	You recently asked the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland a parliamentary question regarding, what recent assessment has been carried out by his Department of the adequacy of  (a) road safety (i) signage and (ii) measures and  (b) sightlines at Six Road Ends in Bangor. As this issue falls within my responsibility as Chief Executive of Roads Service, I have been asked to reply.
	As you may be aware, Roads Service commenced a junction improvement scheme at Six Road Ends, Bangor in August 2006. Proposals for this improvement scheme were initiated as a result of the 14 recorded personal injury collisions, including one fatality at this location over the past 10 years. In addition, it was noted that motorists experienced lengthy delays during peak periods as a result of the complicated nature of the junction.
	The current scheme aims to improve road safety for all road users at the junction, by reducing congestion and driver confusion. It involves the construction of a four leg roundabout with Green Road and Ballycrochan Road realigned to form priority junctions with Gransha Road and Cotton Road respectively. Sightlines, designed in accordance with the requirements of the Design Manual for Roads and Bridges, for the new roundabout scheme have been greatly improved.
	With regards signage, Roads Service erects traffic signs permitted under the Traffic Signs Regulations (NI) 1997. These signs are designed and erected in accordance with the Traffic Sign Manual and this will be the case with signage at the new roundabout at Six Road Ends.
	A scheme of this nature is subject to an independent safety audit after completion of each of the preliminary design, detailed design and construction stages. As part of the planning approval process, the scheme received the approval of both Down District and Ards borough councils when presented in detail before both on 26 July 2005 and 13 September 2005 respectively. Full planning permission was obtained in February 2006.

Roads: Bangor

Lady Hermon: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what recent assessment he has made of the surface quality of the High Bangor-Donaghadee Road; and if he will make funding available to upgrade the road at the conclusion of the building works for the new wastewater treatment facility at Donaghadee.

David Cairns: The Chief Executive of Roads Service (Dr. Malcolm McKibbin) has been asked to write to the hon. Lady in response to this question.
	 Letter from Dr. McKibbin, dated 3 April 2007:
	You recently asked the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland a Parliamentary Question regarding, what recent assessment he has made of the surface quality of the High BangorDonaghadee Road; and if he will make funding available to upgrade the road at the conclusion of the building works for the new wastewater treatment facility at Donaghadee.
	As this issue falls within my responsibility as Chief Executive of Roads Service, I have been asked to reply.
	You will recall meeting with staff from our Ards Section Office on 23 February 2007 regarding a matter you had raised during an earlier meeting with the Divisional Roads Manager, Tom McCourt and myself about Warren Road, Donaghadee. At the 23 February meeting Mr Lamb, the Section Engineer in Ards, advised you that we were aware that the B21 High Bangor Road had suffered over the years as a result of several utilities openings and it was high on our list of priority schemes for resurfacing. He also explained that such a scheme had not been implemented to date as Roads Service was aware that further works were to be carried out on this road by the Water Service in connection with the new wastewater treatment plant at Donaghadee.
	I can assure you that, following completion of the wastewater treatment plant, Roads Service will give this scheme a high priority when considering future programmes of work. In the meantime the condition of the road will be monitored under our cyclic inspection regime and repairs will be effected as required in accordance with our maintenance policy.

Royal Belfast Hospital for Sick Children: Surgery

Iris Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland whether a dedicated infant surgical unit will be maintained at the Royal Belfast Hospital for Sick Children.

Paul Goggins: The Infant Surgical service in the Royal Belfast Hospital for Sick Children (RBHSC) provides care for sick infants, many of whom require highly specialised surgery and post-operative care.
	Infant surgical beds have been temporarily relocated within other wards in the hospital while refurbishment work is carried out. The infant surgical unit will reopen in new facilities adjacent to an existing children's surgical ward, which will provide improved accommodation for both patients and their families. The new location adjacent to other paediatric services will also facilitate the maintenance of appropriate staffing levels, thereby ensuring the quality and safety of patient care. The unit will reopen later this year.
	The interim arrangements have not led to any reduction in beds or diminution of the service.

Sentencing

Lady Hermon: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what recent assessment he has made of the effectiveness of community sentencing as a means of cutting crime in Northern Ireland; and if he will make a statement.

David Hanson: The most recent assessment of community sentencing is published in the Statistics and Research Bulletin 3/2006 Reconviction in Northern Ireland: Results from the 2002 cohort. This bulletin monitors progress against the Northern Ireland Office public service agreement to reduce reconvictions. The following table details the community sentencing data and shows that the actual reconviction rate was 9.9 per cent. lower than the predicted reconviction rate.
	
		
			  Two year reconviction rates against predicted rates2002 
			   Community sentencing( 1) 
			 Total 1,448 
			 Reconvicted 582 
			 Actual (percentage) 40.2 
			 Predicted (percentage) 44.6 
			 Difference (percentage)(2) 9.9 
			 (1) Includes community service orders, attendance centre orders, probation orders and combination orders.  (2) Percentage difference = (predicted  actual)/predicted.

Social Services: Sexual Offences

Iris Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what the  (a) highest,  (b) lowest and  (c) average amount paid per patient by each health trust in the Province to (i) independent social care providers and (ii) independent providers of social care for sex offenders was in the last 12 months.

Paul Goggins: Information on the costs of independent social care provision for sex offenders is not available.
	Information on the amounts paid per patient to independent social care providers by each health trust is also not available. However, annually published reference costs give the total cost of Independent domiciliary care per hour provided and the total cost of independent daycare per day attendance. They also give the total cost of Independent Residential Care and nursing care per occupied week. On these bases, across NI health trusts the highest, lowest and average 2005-06 costs for each service are shown in the following table.
	
		
			   
			   Highest  Lowest  Average 
			 Independent servicesDomiciliary care (cost per hour provided) 13.46 7.71 10.75 
			 Independent Daycare (cost per day attendance) 43.13 13.42 26.98 
			 Independent Residential Care (cost per occupied week) 485 332 472 
			 Nursing Care (cost per occupied week) 577 447 494 
			  Source:  DHSSPS Reference Costs 2005-06

Social Services: Sperrin Lakeland Health and Social Care Trust

Iris Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many people in Sperrin Lakeland HSS Trust had their social care needs assessed incorrectly in each of the last five years.

Paul Goggins: Information on the numbers of people whose social care needs were assessed incorrectly is not collected centrally.
	The Community Information Branch (CIB) within the Department of Health, Social Services and Public Safety, requested the information from the Chief Executive of Sperrin Lakeland HSS Trust who confirmed that it is not recorded.
	If a complaint is received that an inaccurate assessment of need has taken place, the normal course of action will be for the appropriate team manager to review the assessment. If the review is upheld as being inaccurate, a reassessment is undertaken and any inaccuracy is addressed as a training issue with the appropriate staff.

South Eastern Education and Library Board

Iris Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will break down by declared religious affiliation and area of responsibility the number of staff employed at the Headquarters of the South Eastern Education and Library Board.

Maria Eagle: The following table shows the composition of the South Eastern Education and Library Board's workforce by community background as at 23 March 2007. The information has been provided by the Chief Executive of the South Eastern Education and Library Board.
	
		
			 Community background 
			   Protestant  Roman Catholic  Non Determined  Total 
			 HQ total 253 131 72 456 
			  (1)55.5% (1)28.7% (1)15.8%  
			  (2)65.9% (2)34.1%   
			  
			 Finance 63 30 21 114 
			  (1)55.3% (1)26.3% (1)18.4%  
			  (2)67.7% (2)32.3%   
			  
			 Administration 43 31 9 83 
			  (1)51.8% (1)37.4% (1)10.8%  
			  (2)58.1% (2)41.9%   
			  
			 Education 120 57 32 209 
			  (1)57.4% (1)27.3% (1)15.3%  
			  (2)67.8% (2)32.2%   
			  
			 Other 27 13 10 50 
			  (1)54.0% (1)26.0% (1)20.0%  
			  (2)67.5% (2)32.5%   
			 (1 )Represents the percentage of Protestant, Roman Catholic and Non Determined persons within a group. (2 )Represents the percentage of those persons within a group for whom a community background i.e. Protestant and Roman Catholic was determined. 
		
	
	This method has been agreed by the Equality Commission for Northern Ireland.

South Eastern Education and Library Board

Iris Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how much has been spent on sending commissioners at the South Eastern education and library board on training courses since they were appointed.

Maria Eagle: I have been advised by the Chief Executive of the South Eastern Education and Library Board that since their appointment, the Board has incurred no costs through training courses for the commissioners.

Special Educational Needs

Alasdair McDonnell: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how much each education and library board spent on legal advice in relation to special educational needs cases in each of the last five years.

Maria Eagle: Each education and library board (ELB) spent the following amounts on legal advice in relation to special educational needs cases in the last five years. These exclude ELB solicitor costs which are included under ELB costs.
	
		
			   2002  2003  2004  2005  2006 
			 BELB 4,700 6,433 9,400 29,261 1,469 
			 NEELB 500 500 500 500 500 
			 SEELB 0 15,730 206,006 78,682 0 
			 SELB 0 5,250 0 11,800 12,325 
			 WELB 0 0 0 21,424 0

Speed Limits

Lady Hermon: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland on which roads in Northern Ireland a 20 mile per hour speed limit is imposed; and what assessment he has made of the effect on road safety at each location of such a limit.

David Cairns: The Chief Executive of Roads Service (Dr. Malcolm McKibbin) has been asked to write to the hon. Lady in response to this question.
	 Letter from Dr. McKibbin, dated 3 April 2007:
	You recently asked the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland a Parliamentary Question regarding, on which roads in Northern Ireland a 20 mile per hour speed limit is imposed; and what assessment he has made of the effect on road safety at each location of such a limit.
	As this issue falls within my responsibility as Chief Executive of Roads Service, I have been asked to reply.
	By way of background, I should explain that a 20 mph speed limit is not normally introduced on individual roads. It is more common to introduce 20 mph zones, which are a form of traffic calming in residential areas where an extensive network of streets is involved and where self-enforcing measures can be provided to reduce vehicle speeds to approximately 20mph. Where speeds have been reduced to 20 mph by self-enforcing measures, it is then possible to introduce a mandatory 20 mph limit. However, if the level of traffic calming measures is insufficient to reduce speeds to around 20 mph, then it is unlikely that the Police Service of Northern Ireland would agree to the introduction of a mandatory 20 mph limit.
	Roads Service has implemented forty-eight 20 mph residential zones, the locations of which are listed in the following table. In addition, Roads Service is currently progressing a 20 mph zone for the Scrabo Estate, in Newtownards, through the approval stage.
	Roads Service currently monitors the effectiveness of all traffic calming schemes, including 20 mph zones, and this information is published in our annual Road Safety Engineering Report, a copy of which can be obtained from our website at: http://www.roadsni.gov.uk/Publications/specific/RoadSafetyEngReport0405-0506.pdf or by writing to Mr Brian Maxwell, Network Traffic Telematics Manager, Traffic Information and Control Centre, 1b Airport Road, Belfast, BT3 9DY. For each scheme, the number of injury collisions occurring over the three year period following introduction of a scheme, is compared with the collision history for a similar period prior to the works.
	At fourteen of the above forty-eight locations, where full monitoring data is available, there have been 88 fewer collisions involving an injury. This equates to a 32% reduction compared with a similar period before introduction of the 20 mph zones.
	
		
			  Town/City  Residential Area 
			 Armagh Lisanally Lane 
			   
			 Ballynahinch Loughside Drive/Windmill AvenueCarlisle Road/Windmill Gardens 
			   
			 Belfast Anderstown area 
			  Ballymurphy area 
			  Mersey Street/Severn Street 
			  Riverdale Park 
			  Holylands area 
			  Taughmonagh 
			  Donegall Roads/The Village 
			  Ardoyne area 
			  Turf Lodge 
			  Ballynafeigh area 
			  Bloomfield area 
			   
			 Lisburn Tonagh Estate 
			   
			 Portadown Brownstown west 
			   
			 Strabane Ballycolman/Beechmount Avenue 
			  Carlton Drive 
			  Lisnafin 
			  Springhill Park 
			  Five Acres 
			  Beldoo 
			  Laurel Drive 
			  Knocavoe Crescent 
			  St. Mary's Drive 
			   
			 Omagh Strathroy Estate 
			  Meelmore Drive 
			   
			 Cookstown Rathleen Avenue 
			  Greenvale Drive 
			  Sullenboy Park 
			   
			 Pomeroy Parkview 
			   
			 Dungannon Lisnahull Estate 
			  Braeside 
			  Windmill area 
			  Altmore Drive 
			  Meadowbank 
			  Woodburn Crescent 
			  Espey Park 
			   
			 Enniskillen Derrin Road 
			  Corban Avenue 
			  Erne Drive 
			  Kilmacormick Estate 
			  Windmill Heights 
			  Coa Road area (Beech Hill, Cavandale, Scamore Drive and Willowvale) 
			   
			 Maghera Craw fords burn 
			  Sunnyside 
			  Tamney Crescent 
			  Meetinghouse Avenue 
			   
			 Draperstown Glenelly Villa's

Stillbirths: Miscarriage

Iris Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what the procedures are for returning body parts to families following stillbirths and miscarriages; and where body parts are stored following stillbirths or miscarriages in Northern Ireland.

Paul Goggins: The Human Tissue Act 2004 set out a new legal framework for the removal, storage and use of tissue and organs from the deceased. The Act also established the Human Tissue Authority as the regulatory body for these matters.
	The Authority published six codes of practice on the removal, storage, use and disposal of human tissue and organs, which were laid before the Northern Ireland Assembly on 19 July 2006 and notified to the HPSS by the acting chief medical officer in August. All trusts in Northern Ireland are required to comply with these codes. In addition, the DHSSPS has issued a Careplan for Women who Experience a Miscarriage, Stillbirth or Neonatal Death and explanatory booklets to accompany the consent forms that are used to record a family' s wishes in respect of a hospital post mortem examination and the removal, use and disposal of human tissue.
	Parents who have suffered a stillbirth or miscarriage are given oral and written information and asked whether they wish to have their baby or the tissue that was in the womb examined pathologically. This would involve a post mortem examination or histopathological examination in a laboratory. They will also be asked how they wish the remains to be disposed of, which can be arranged either by the hospital or the family.
	Depending on the decisions taken by the family, the remains may be stored in a mortuary or pathology laboratory. All babies greater than 12 weeks' gestational size have their post mortem examination carried out in the Royal Hospital's mortuary. The return of a baby, foetus or miscarriage tissue to a family may be via a funeral director or directly to the family.

Suicide

Iris Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how much money was spent on combating suicide in Northern Ireland in each of the last 10 years.

Paul Goggins: It is not possible to provide information in the precise form requested. A large number of organisations, statutory and non-statutory have been involved in suicide prevention work during this period.
	Prior to the publication of the Northern Ireland Suicide Prevention Strategy, Protect Life A Shared Vision on 30 October 2006. the issue of suicide prevention was tackled through implementation of the Promoting Mental Health Strategy and Action Plan. This strategy contains 10 specific actions relating to suicide prevention, including the promotion of coping skills and the development of a suicide awareness programme.
	The funding for the Promoting Mental Health Strategy and Action Plan for each of the years since its launch in 2003 is set out in the following table.
	
		
			   Funding () 
			 2002-03 200,000 
			 2003-04 300,000 
			 2004-05 350,000 
			 2005-06 600,000 
			 2006-07 600,000 
		
	
	Following concern about an increasing number of local suicides, a separate suicide prevention strategy for Northern Ireland has recently been developed. The funding allocated specifically for the implementation of this new strategy is shown in the following table.
	
		
			   Funding () 
			 2006-07 1,900,000 
			 2007-08 to 2011 3,060,000 
		
	
	The figures aforementioned do not incorporate substantial funding made available via mental health services, other Departments and/or contributions made by many community and voluntary organisations such as the Samaritans and Aware Defeat Depression, all of which contribute to suicide prevention.

Suicide

Iris Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many suicides were committed in each constituency in Northern Ireland in each of the last 10 years.

David Hanson: The following table gives the number of deaths registered in Northern Ireland by parliamentary constituency due to 'suicide and self-inflicted injury'(1) and 'undetermined injury whether accidentally or purposefully inflicted'(2) in each year between 1996 and 2005.
	(1) International Classification of Diseases, Tenth Revision codes X60-X84, Y87.0 for years 2001-05 and Ninth Revision codes E950-E959 for years 1985-2000.
	(2) International Classification of Diseases, Tenth Revision codes Y10-Y34, Y87.2 for years 2001-05 and Ninth Revision codes E980-E989 for years 1985-2000.
	
		
			  Number of registered deaths due to 'suicide and self-inflicted injury' and 'undetermined injury whether accidentally or purposefully inflicted' by parliamentary constituency, 1996-2005 
			   Registration year 
			  Area  1996  1997  1998  1999  2000  2001  2002  2003  2004  2005 
			 Belfast East 4 8 6 4 6 10 4 2 4 9 
			 Belfast North 10 7 8 17 13 13 12 14 16 16 
			 Belfast South 8 14 4 9 11 5 12 9 9 15 
			 Belfast West 4 11 10 19 22 11 12 11 9 11 
			 East Antrim 6 1 4 6 6 4 7 6 4 8 
			 East Londonderry 4 4 12 8 4 5 9 8 6 4 
			 Fermanagh and South Tyrone 6 4 10 5 7 11 7 6 8 19 
			 Foyle 7 4 9 11 12 5 11 8 11 12 
			 Lagan Valley 13 6 8 7 12 9 11 7 6 15 
			 Mid Ulster 1 8 7 6 10 3 2 4 5 20 
			 Newry and Armagh 12 21 13 11 7 10 14 7 10 15 
			 North Antrim 13 9 10 7 9 9 11 10 8 9 
			 North Down 7 9 5 4 12 12 9 4 6 7 
			 South Antrim 8 4 3 4 9 8 20 9 6 12 
			 South Down 14 4 7 8 14 8 12 13 10 14 
			 Strangford 6 5 11 7 12 8 11 6 9 11 
			 Upper Bann 12 12 14 8 9 16 10 15 11 10 
			 West Tyrone 6 7 9 13 10 11 9 5 8 6 
			 Unknown 2  
			 Northern Ireland 143 138 150 154 185 158 183 144 146 213

Tomography: Waiting Lists

Iris Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many people in each health trust in the Province are waiting for an MRI scan; what the average waiting time is for an MRI scan in each health trust; and what the longest waiting time has been over the last five years for an MRI scan in each health trust.

Paul Goggins: Information is given in the following table.
	
		
			  Trust  Total number of patients waiting for an MRI scan at 23 March 2007  Average waiting time for an MRI scan in days at 23 March 2007  Longest wait for an MRI scan in days during the last five years 
			 Altnagelvin 563 98 (1)252 
			 Belfast City Hospital 993 99 (2)193 
			 Craigavon 178 126 n/a 
			 Greenpark 1,106 60 300 
			 Royal 558 60 (3)180 
			 Ulster 292 60 224 
			 United 225 31 84 
			 n/a = Figure not available.  1 Figures for Altnagelvin are not available; prior to June 2004, therefore this figure relates to the period between June 2004 and March 2007.  2 Figures for Belfast City Hospital HSS Trust are not available prior to the 2006-07 year, therefore the longest wait figure is at 23 March 2007.  3 The longest wait figure for the Royal Group of Hospitals HSS Trusts relates to the position at 23 March 2007.   Source:  HPSS Trusts 
		
	
	Data produced from the Department's performance management system indicate that as at the end of March 2007, there were no patients waiting more than 26 weeks for any Imaging Service in HPSS Trusts in Northern Ireland.

Translation Services

Lady Hermon: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland pursuant to the answer of 15 March 2007,  Official Report, column 564W, on translation services, which languages were involved; how much was spent on translation costs for each language in each year; what the nature was of the services provided; and what the reasons were for the percentage year-on-year change in translation costs.

Maria Eagle: Detailed breakdowns of translation costs for each Northern Ireland Government Department, its associated agencies and non-departmental public bodies for each of the last four years are provided in the following tables.
	
		
			  Breakdown of translations 2002-03, 2003-04, 2004-05, 2005-06 
			   
			  2002-03 
			  Department  Total 2002-03  Irish  Ulster - Scots  Ethnic( 1)  Sign  Other( 2) 
			 DHSSPS 95,620.11 89,152.86 0.00 6,467.25 0.00 0.00 
			 NIO 123,150.11 679.36 413.00 121,790.75 85.00 182.00 
			 DE 98,993.67 35,521.79 0.00 58,497.63 599.70 4,374.55 
			 DETI 987.68 176.02 0.00 811.66 0.00 0.00 
			 DEL 4,726.86 655.00 0.00 719.90 3,351.96 0.00 
			 OFMDFM 43,176.87 26,208.99 7,415.50 2,522.00 1,528.00 5,502.38 
			 DOE 296.50 154.50 0.00 0.00 142.00 0.00 
			 DSD 18,183.86 57.50 0.00 16,836.02 1,290.34 0.00 
			 DFP 177.17 177.17 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 
			 DCAL 39,718.86 38,061.61 149.85 495.00 1,012.40 0.00 
			 DARD 981.49 310.89 0.00 670.60 0.00 0.00 
			 DRD (3) (3) (3) (3) (3) (3) 
			 Total 426,013.18 191,155.69 7,978.35 208,810.81 8,009.40 10,058.93 
		
	
	
		
			  2003-04 
			   
			  Department  Total 2003-04  Irish  Ulster - Scots  Ethnic( 1)  Sign  Other( 2) 
			 NIO 115,001.83 687.38 0.00 111,583.79 2,730.66 0.00 
			 DE 119,929.38 22,963.22 69.95 96,780.01 104.20 12.00 
			 DARD 1,305.36 76.59 0.00 1,175.78 0.00 52.99 
			 DEL 11,039.00 0.00 1,028.00 9,028.70 104.20 878.10 
			 DETI 3,697.68 2,075.93 0.00 523.93 120.11 977.71 
			 DFP 1,898.45 1,060.13 0.00 838.32 0.00 0.00 
			 DHSSPS 31,466.55 29,305.80 0.00 2,160.75 0.00 0.00 
			 DOE 74.95 74.95 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 
			 DRD 539.04 195.00 134.04 210.00 0.00 0.00 
			 DSD 53,913.74 482.50 0.00 52,556.86 874.38 0.00 
			 OFMDFM 22,505.61 4,764.15 354.00 1,375.51 15,734.65 277.30 
			 DCAL 53,652.58 51,593.12 444.50 1,350.00 264.96 0.00 
			 Total 415,024.17 113,278.77 2,030.49 277,583.65 19,933.16 2,198.10 
		
	
	
		
			  2004-05 
			   
			  Department  Total 2004-05  Irish  Ulster - Scots  Ethnic( 1)  Sign  Other( 2) 
			 NIO 257,878.70 2,058.69 558.06 158,670.32 4,161.52 92,430.11 
			 DE 37,416.37 24,554.49 0.00 9,800.30 3,061.58 0.00 
			 DARD 1,370.98 311.90 0.00 1,059.08 0.00 0.00 
			 DEL 12,557.82 0.00 0.00 50.00 2,654.63 9,853.19 
			 DETI 3,603.36 309.97 45.50 1,740.01 1,507.88 0.00 
			 DFP 1,958.86 625.06 295.54 715.11 102.34 220.81 
			 DHSSPS 13,515.01 9,592.76 0.00 152.75 0.00 3,769.50 
			 DOE 724.02 109.02 225.00 390.00 0.00 0.00 
			 DRD 3,798.99 338.24 0.00 0.00 3,108.24 352.51 
			 DSD 112,612.59 251.39 0.00 98,092.67 3,154.70 11,113.83 
			 OFMDFM 1,695.36 494.36 0.00 1,195.00 0.00 6.00 
			 DCAL 37,403.23 28,575.59 568.71 5,425.00 2,833.93 0.00 
			 Total 484,535.29 67,221.47 1,692.81 277,290.24 20,584.82 117,745.95 
		
	
	
		
			  2005-06 
			   
			  Department  Total 2005-06  Irish  Ulster- Scots  Ethnic( 1)  Sign  Other( 2) 
			 NIO 527,454.57 480.76 0.00 510,893.87 16,079.94 0.00 
			 DE 37,827.10 19,349.27 0.00 14,094.27 3,559.65 823.91 
			 DARD 5,076.85 3,192.16 95.89 1,590.00 0.00 198.80 
			 DEL 232,064.00 0.00 0.00 230,841.00 1,223.00 0.00 
			 DETI 7,510.19 390.89 0.00 5,430.59 1,611.17 77.54 
			 DFP 1,498.03 899.73 0.00 180.00 356.50 61.80 
			 DHSSPS 27,262.66 8,974.00 0.00 17,545.66 0.00 743.00 
			 DOE 16,330.78 7,290.06 7,931.62 309.10 800.00 0.00 
			 DRD 546.04 436.04 0.00 110.00 0.00 0.00 
			 DSD 309,871.19 0.00 0.00 308,602.40 561.00 707.79 
			 OFMDFM 24,081.60 2,740.77 515.36 15,210.47 4,291.60 1,323.40 
			 DCAL 25,183.92 20,801.17 783.40 1,535.90 532.30 1,531.15 
			 Total 1,214,706.93 64,554.85 9,326.27 1,106,343.26 29,015.16 5,467.39 
			 (1) Ethnic refers to translations other than English, Irish and Ulster-Scots. (2) Other refers to Braille and interpretation costs. (3) Nil return. 
		
	
	It is not possible to define all the reasons for the year-on-year changes in the costs of translations or to supply a comprehensive breakdown of the nature of the services provided. However, it is apparent that the volume of Irish language translations has fallen following the dissolution of the Assembly while EU enlargement and the increased immigrant population has seen a significant increase in the volume of ethnic language translations. The level of Ulster-Scots translations has remained fairly static over the period.

Valuation and Lands Agency

Caroline Spelman: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what Gateway Reviews have  (a) been produced and  (b) are under way of projects by the Valuation and Lands Agency.

David Hanson: Gateway Reviews have  (a) been produced for the Computer Assisted Mass Appraisal Implementation Project and the Public Interface Project, and  (b) will be produced for the Land and Property Services programme.

Victims: Finance

Iris Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how much funding was provided to each victims group in the Province in each year since 1994.

David Hanson: Records show that funding detailed in the following table has been allocated to organisations involved in providing support for victims between April 1998 and March 2007. Year by year breakdowns of these figures is not available; nor are details of funding prior to 1998. In both cases this information could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
	In addition to the amounts shown, victims' groups may apply for funding from any programme or scheme, such as the District Council Community Relations Programme or European Union funding through the Local Strategy Partnerships, for which they can satisfy the relevant eligibility criteria.
	
		
			  Orga nisation Providing S upport for  Vi ctims  Amount  a llocated () 
			 123 House 158,746 
			 A Peace Cantata 4,430 
			 Aisling Centre 225,982 
			 Alanna Consultancy 1,790 
			 An Crann 63,500 
			 Ardoyne Commemoration 14,900 
			 Armagh Voluntary Welfare Group 28,296 
			 Ashton Community Trust 2,330,673 
			 Association for Family Therapy NI 6,100 
			 Ballybone, Belfast 2,100 
			 Ballymoney District Partnership (Victims) 16,000 
			 Ballymurphy Centre 568,810 
			 Bannside Community Group 23,994 
			 Barnardo's 75,050 
			 Base 2 25,375 
			 Befriending and Counselling 4,397 
			 Belfast Cognitive Therapy Centre 56,215 
			 Breaking the Silence 4,998 
			 Care in Crisis 1,964 
			 Community Action for Locally Managed Stress (CALMS) 878,520 
			 Centre for Creative Energy, Londonderry 11,520 
			 Cheshire Regimental Association 290 
			 Claudy 12,027 
			 Cliftonville Community Regeneration Forum 2,590 
			 Coiste na n-larchimi 2,404 
			 Co Tyrone Frontier Relief Fund 2,000 
			 Coleraine/Ballymoney UDR 118,060 
			 Colin Community Counselling Project 3,526 
			 Colleague Support Group 3,100 
			 Columba Community 223,663 
			 Combat Stress 6,500 
			 Community Council 2,240 
			 Community Foundation for Northern Ireland 12,500 
			 Community Relations Council 38,357 
			 Comrades Support Group(1) 4,760 
			 Conflict Trauma Resource Centre 265,787 
			 Contact Youth 156,461 
			 Conway Education Centre 2,500 
			 Cookstown Colleague Support 2,165 
			 Corpus Christi Services 566,439 
			 Corrymeela Community 7,500 
			 Cost of the Troubles Study 97,251 
			 Crossfire Trust 17,214 
			 CRUSE (Foyle) 35,000 
			 CRUSE Bereavement (NI) 74,915 
			 CRUSE Bereavement Care (Belfast) 37,587 
			 CRUSE (Causeway) 2,500 
			 Cum arm Tar Abhaile 22,171 
			 Cunamh 751,084 
			 Dairy Farm Jobclub 111,394 
			 Democratic Dialogue 7,485 
			 Derry and Raphoe Action 347,229 
			 Derry City Council 2,500 
			 Derry Well Women 172,986 
			 Disabled Police Officers Association (DPOA) 190,395 
			 Divis Centre 1,005 
			 East Belfast Mission 1,560 
			 Eastern Health  Social Services Board Trauma Advisory Panel 158,567 
			 Families of the Displaced, Dispersed and Disappeared (FODDD) 194,969 
			 Families Achieving Change Together (FACT) 647,634 
			 Families Acting for Innocent Relatives (FAIR) 1,358,142 
			 Families for Truth and Justice 800 
			 Family Trauma Centre 704,062 
			 Fermanagh College 69,600 
			 Fermanagh South Tyrone Terrorist Victims Association 96,738 
			 Fermanagh Voluntary Welfare Support Group 9,912 
			 Firinne 347,783 
			 Friends of WAVE 2,304 
			 Give Innocent Victims Equality (GIVE) 5,200 
			 Glencree LIVE ProgrammeThe Restorick Group 750 
			 Greater Belfast Community Network 84,500 
			 Greater Twinbrook and Poleglass Community Forum 10,000 
			 Healing Through Remembering 10,000 
			 Help and Advice with Victims Every Need (HAVEN) 212,242 
			 Holy Trinity 237,611 
			 Holywell Trust 16,329 
			 Homes United by Ruthless Terrorism (HURT) 480,729 
			 HOPE 500 
			 Innocence, Truth and Justice 980 
			 Institute for Counselling and Personal Development (ICPD) 744,225 
			 Interact 5,000 
			 Interchurch Group on Faith and Politics 600 
			 Irish Peace Institute 11,000 
			 Koram Centre 254,938 
			 Ladies Friendship Group 4,075 
			 Lenadoon Community Counselling Project 300,238 
			 Lifeline 26,500 
			 Lifespring Health and Healing 10,000 
			 Lifeways Psychotherapy and Counselling Centre 333,793 
			 Lisburn Community Relations Network 1,200 
			 Lisb urn Prisoners Support Project 133,423 
			 Lisburn YMCA 1,200 
			 Loughgall Truth and Justice Campaign 7,200 
			 Lower North Belfast Community Group 2,000 
			 Lurgan Welfare Support Group 4,216 
			 Make Your Mark 57,838 
			 Mid Ulster Survivors Trust 1,000 
			 Mourne Action for Survivors of Terrorism (MAST) 229,191 
			 Newforge Brunch Club 5,004 
			 New Life Counselling Service 464,679 
			 Newry and Mourne Voluntary Welfare Group 12,762 
			 Nexus Institute 51,441 
			 NI Association for Mental Health 46,702 
			 NI Memorial Fund 8,367,288 
			 NI Music Therapy Trust 94,969 
			 NI Prison Service 600 
			 NICRA 1,000 
			 North and West Belfast Trust 20,000 
			 Northern Health and Social Services Board Trauma Advisory Panel 155,158 
			 North Ulster Victims Support Network 15,094 
			 NI Centre for Trauma and Transformation (NICTT) 2,000,000 
			 NI Terrorist Victims Together 3,050 
			 NOVA 584,175 
			 Omagh Independent Advice Services 31,657 
			 Omagh Support and Self Help Group 217,747 
			 Passionist Youth 94,800 
			 Pat Finucane Centre 21,118 
			 Police Rehabilitation and Retraining Trust 20,000 
			 Positive Action 91,328 
			 Prison Service Trust 64,160 
			 RAFT-Restorative Action Following the Troubles 191,095 
			 Regimental Association UDR(1) 134,816 
			 Relatives For Justice 1,268,341 
			 Royal Artillery Association 2,232 
			 Royal National Institute for the Deaf (RNID) 138,547 
			 RUC GC Association(1) 25,649 
			 Rural Network 205,345 
			 Seeds of Hope 2,500 
			 Shankill Stress and Trauma Group 706,422 
			 Sligo Presbyterian 7,500 
			 SOLAS Victim Support 111,479 
			 South Deny Ex-Prisoners Association 2,500 
			 South Down Action for Healing Wounds (SDAHW) 341,387 
			 South East Fermanagh Foundation 429,513 
			 South Tyrone Empowerment Programme 15,740 
			 South Tyrone Voluntary Welfare Group 6,140 
			 South West Community Victims 10,000 
			 South/North Armagh Victims Encouraging Recognition (SAVER/NAVER) 952,788 
			 Southern Health and Social Services Board Trauma Advisory Panel 179,149 
			 Sperrin Lakeland Trust 70,649 
			 Springhill Community House 279,896 
			 Springvale Training 195,192 
			 Stepping Stone, Craigavon 55,000 
			 Stewartstown and District Support Group 3,260 
			 Strabane Befriending and Counselling Association 311,609 
			 Streetbeat Youth Project 215,532 
			 Sub Committee for Victims 368,112 
			 Support, Training, Education, Employment, Research (STEER) Mental Health 149,119 
			 Survivors of Trauma 902,184 
			 Tar Anall 115,300 
			 Tar Isteach 190,993 
			 Tara Counselling and Personal Development Company Ltd. 923,597 
			 TEAR 11,579 
			 The Bloody Sunday Trust 84,765 
			 The Church's Ministry of Healing 18,000 
			 The Cross Group 22,745 
			 The Ely Centre 631,893 
			 The Phoenix Group 35,447 
			 The Royal British Legion (Upperlands Branch) 2,000 
			 The Samaritans, Belfast 8,000 
			 The Samaritans, Coleraine 7,000 
			 The Wider Circle 265,527 
			 Threshold 3,000 
			 Towards Healing and Understanding 5,500 
			 Trauma Recovery Network 1,235 
			 Tullycarnet Victims Support Group 5,400 
			 UDR Association(1) 18,667 
			 Ulster Special Constabulary Association(1) 50,256 
			 United Services Club 133,816 
			 Victims Support (NI) 52,000 
			 Victims and Survivors Trust (VAST) 514,181 
			 VOICE 121,542 
			 Voices Women's Group 17,054 
			 WAVE(1) 5,399,569 
			 West Belfast Cross Community Partnership 48,700 
			 West Tyrone Voice (WTV) 820,085 
			 Western Enterprise Social Legal and Educational Victims Trust 3,950 
			 Western Health and Social Services Board Trauma Advisory Panel 197,852 
			 Widows Mite 4,840 
			 Women Together 11,641 
			 Yarn and Darn 1,096 
			 Yes! 5,000 
			 Total 43,962,152 
			 (1) These organisations have a number of branches and the funding for individual branches has been combined for the purposes of the table.   Note:  The Community Foundation for Northern Ireland (formerly NIVT) also received 1,123,324 through the EU Special Programme for Peace and Reconciliation (Peace I) which supported victims of violence. The Foundation allocated these funds in support of a number of projects for both ex-prisoners and victims. Persons from these groups could benefit from the same project and it is not possible to disaggregate the assistance between the two groups.

Voluntary Organisations: Health Services

Iris Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what steps have been taken to ensure that voluntary organisations providing services for publicly funded health bodies in Northern Ireland receive full recovery of costs.

Paul Goggins: The Department of Health, Social Services and Public Safety recognises the vital role played by the voluntary and community sector in the delivery of health care services across Northern Ireland. The Government also acknowledge, as indicated in their response to Investing Together Positive Stepsthat voluntary organisations must be able to recover full overhead costs for delivering a contracted service. The Department is working in partnership with the Department of Finance and Personnel and the Department for Social Development to develop this approach.

Water Treatment: Ballyhalbert

Iris Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland when the Ballyhalbert waste and water treatment works contract will start; and if he will make a statement.

David Cairns: The Chief Executive of Water Service (Mrs. Katharine Bryan) has been asked to write to the hon. Lady in response to this question.
	 Letter from Katharine Bryan, dated 31 March 2007:
	You recently asked the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland a Parliamentary Question about when the Ballyhalbert waste and water treatment works contract will start; and if he will make a statement (130876). I have been asked to reply as this issue falls within my responsibility as Chief Executive of Water Service.
	Water Service recently completed an appraisal study of the treatment needs for the Ards Peninsula and a project to improve the wastewater treatment facilities in Ballyhalbert is currently included in its Capital Works Programme with a commencement date in 2012. However, an interim solution with a commencement date towards the end of 2007 is currently being considered.

William Frazer

David Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what recommendation the District Commander of Armagh District Command Unit of the Police Service of Northern Ireland made to the Northern Ireland Office on the application for a personal protection weapon made by Mr. William Frazer of Families Acting for Innocent Victims.

Paul Goggins: Responsibility for the issue of personal protection weapons rests with the Chief Constable of the Police Service of Northern Ireland. In the event of an appeal, the matter is considered by the Secretary of State. While it is not appropriate to disclose information on individual cases, if the hon. Member wishes to write to me on behalf of Mr. Frazer I would be happy to consider his inquiry.

Woodlands Juvenile Justice Centre

Lady Hermon: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will make a statement on the outcome of the inquiry into the escape from Woodlands Juvenile Justice Centre on 22 February 2007; and what action has been taken to prevent further escapes.

David Hanson: An investigation into the escape, conducted by the centre director, concluded that a security weakness in the design of a vehicle access gate at the rear of the centre, which enabled it to be scaled by the young person, was to blame. This has since been rectified.
	Furthermore, the centre director has completed a security survey of all external and internal areas of the centre.

Written Questions

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland when he expects to answer question 108009, tabled on 5 December 2006 by the hon. Member for Portsmouth South.

Paul Goggins: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given on 21 February 2007,  Official Report, column 785W.

Written Questions

David Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland when he will answer question 113811, on public sector pensions, tabled on 5 January 2007 by the hon. Member for Yeovil.

Peter Hain: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave on 23 February 2007,  Official Report, column 984W.

WORK AND PENSIONS

Advertising

Oliver Heald: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions pursuant to the answer of 20 February 2007,  Official Report, column 625W, on advertising, if he will place in the Library a copy of the contract between his Department and the newspaper in relation to the  Guardian supplement on Extending Boundaries.

Anne McGuire: Buying newspaper advertising space is carried out for my Department by the Central Office of Information through a commercial supplier as part of wider media buying activities. There was no specific contract between the Department and the  Guardian newspaper for this piece of work, only between the Department and COI, as part of a larger project.

Benefit Fraud

David Ruffley: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what proportion of calls made to the benefit fraud hotline led to  (a) investigation and  (b) conviction of individuals named by callers in each year since 1997.

James Plaskitt: The National Benefit Fraud Hotline is very cost effectivelast year it cost nearly 1 million to run but identified 21.4 million in recoverable overpayments. Between April 1999 and March 2006, 4,233 people have been convicted as a result of calls made to the National Benefit Fraud Hotline. A proportion of the 110,485 people who have received a penalty or caution over! the same period will also have been initially reported via the Benefit Fraud Hotline but this information has not been collected.
	Information regarding calls made, and the proportion of such calls that led to investigation and conviction is only available from April 2004. Available information regarding the number of calls actually answered from 1997 is in the following table.
	
		
			   Calls answered  Referrals for investigation as a proportion of calls answered (percentage)  Convictions as a proportion of calls answered (percentage) 
			 1997-98 188,038 (1) (1) 
			 1998-99 170,032 (1) (1) 
			 1999-2000 162,067 49.05 0.20 
			 2000-01 208,201 48.68 0.23 
			 2001-02 205,999 52.99 0.34 
			 2002-03 159,290 56.51 0.44 
			 2003-04 211,054 53.55 0.29 
			 2004-05 199,004 55.22 0.31 
			 2005-06 211,599 72.47 0.34 
			 (1) Not recorded  Source: National Benefit Fraud Hotline and Fraud Information by Sector system.

Child Support Agency

Maria Miller: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what progress has been made in meeting the targets for the Child Support Agency set out in the Child Support Agency Business Plan 2006-07; which targets he expects will be  (a) met and  (b) not met; and if he will make a statement.

James Plaskitt: holding answer 21 March 2007
	The administration of the Child Support Agency is a matter for the Chief Executive. He will write to the hon. Member with the information requested.
	 Letter from Stephen Geraghty, dated 16 April 2007:
	In reply to your recent Parliamentary Questions about the Child Support Agency, the Secretary of State promised a substantive reply from the Chief Executive.
	You asked the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what progress has been made in meeting the targets for the Child Support Agency set out in the Child Support Agency Business Plan 2006-07; which targets he expects will be (a) met and (b) not met; and if he will make a statement.
	The Child Support Agency has six targets set by the Secretary of State for 2006-07, which were published in the Agency's Business Plan, a copy of which is available in the House of Commons Library, or on the internet via the following link: www.csa.gov.uk/pdf/english/reports/plan0607.pdf.
	The Agency's current performance against these targets is published every three months in tables 2.1, 3, 7.2, 8.1,12, and 17 of the Child Support Agency Quarterly Summary Statistics.
	Latest performance to December 2006 is currently available on the Internet via the following link: www.dwp.gov.uk/asd/asd1/child_support/csa_quarterly_dec06.asp and a hard copy is in the House of Commons Library.
	The final assessment of how the Agency has performed against these targets, including achievements from January to March, will be published in the March 2007 Child Support Agency Quarterly Summary Statistics.
	I hope you find this answer helpful.

Child Support Agency

Maria Miller: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many  (a) old scheme and  (b) new scheme Child Support Agency cases were cleared in each month of the last two years for which figures are available.

James Plaskitt: h olding  a nswer 23 February 2007
	 The administration of the Child Support Agency is a matter for the Chief Executive. He will write to the hon. Member with the information requested.
	 Letter from Stephen Geraghty, dated 3 April 2007:
	In reply to your recent Parliamentary Question about the Child Support Agency, the Secretary of State promised a substantive reply from the Chief Executive.
	You asked the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many  (a) old scheme and  (b) new scheme Child Support Agency cases were cleared in each month of the last two years for which figures are available.
	The information requested is presented in the attached table.
	The clearance process includes all work undertaken on applications for child maintenance until one of the following conditions is met: a parent with care has been identified as claiming Good Cause or is subject to a Reduced Benefit Decision; the application is identified as being a change of circumstances on an existing case; the application has been closed; or for old scheme cases a maintenance assessment has been carried out and for new scheme cases, a payment arrangement between the parent with care and the non-resident parent is in place.
	The Agency holds only a negligible number of completely unprocessed applications. The amount of work required to achieve clearance, and the length of time involved, varies considerably depending on, amongst other things, the circumstances of the parents and how readily they cooperate with the Agency. The work undertaken by the Agency's New Client Teams extends far beyond simply clearing new applications through the computer system. A significant proportion of the work undertaken by the Agency's New Client Teams consists of setting up the first maintenance payments to the parent with care, and retaining responsibility for this growing caseload until the first fully compliant, on time payment is made by the non-resident parent.
	In addition, under the Operational Improvement Plan, the Agency is committed to reducing the number of uncleared applications. The number of uncleared applications fell by 13 per cent. in the 12 months prior to December 2006, as the Agency made progress in clearing significant numbers of older, more complex cases. These cased often require a great deal more work than other applications and this is reflected in the increasing average age of cleared cases.
	For future reference, information on the number of new scheme clearances is publicly available in the Child Support Agency Quarterly Summary of Statistics (QSS), a copy of which is available in the House of Commons Library, or on the internet via the following link: http//www.dwp.gov.uk/asd/asd1/child_support/csa_quarterly_dec06.asp.
	I hope you find this answer helpful.
	
		
			  The number of clearances each month between January 2005 and December 2006 
			  Month ending  New scheme  Old scheme  Total 
			  2005
			 January 20,400 4,500 24,900 
			 February 22,600 4,400 27,100 
			 March 26,800 4,000 30,800 
			 April 25,100 4,200 29,300 
			 May 27,400 6,500 33,800 
			 June 26,100 6,200 32,200 
			 July 26,500 5,200 31,800 
			 August 25,500 4,000 29,500 
			 September 24,500 4,700 29,100 
			 October 25,200 5,600 30,900 
			 November 32,800 3,800 36,600 
			 December 27,100 3,000 30,100 
			  2006
			 January 28,800 3,100 31,900 
			 February 29,900 3,400 33,300 
			 March 34,000 3,600 37,600 
			 April 29,200 2,700 31,900 
			 May 26,500 2,200 28,800 
			 June 28,700 2,300 31,000 
			 July 30,700 2,400 33,100 
			 August 26,400 2,400 28,800 
			 September 25,800 3,600 29,400 
			 October 29,000 4,100 33,100 
			 November 23,700 1,900 25,600 
			 December 19,900 1,300 21,200 
			  Notes to table: 1. Numbers are rounded to the nearest hundred. 2. The increase in the number of old scheme clearances in September and October 2006 was as a result of work being carried out to clear a number of cases that had previously not been on the system. 3. The definition of a clearance is not the same on the old and new schemes. A clearance on the old scheme occurs when an assessment has been carried out, a case is closed, the parent with care (PWC) is identified as claiming Good Cause or the PWC is subject to a Reduced Benefit Decision. For a new scheme case to be cleared it must also have a maintenance collection schedule set up following a calculation.

Child Support Agency

John Cummings: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions on what date he expects all old cases of the Child Support Agency to have been brought under the new system; and if he will make a statement.

James Plaskitt: The administration of the Child Support Agency is a matter for the Chief Executive. He will write to my hon. Friend with the information requested.
	 Letter from Stephen Geraghty, dated 16 April 2007:
	In reply to your recent Parliamentary Question about the Child Support Agency, the Secretary of State promised a substantive reply from the Chief Executive.
	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, on what date he expects all old cases of the Child Support Agency to have been brought under the new system; and if he will make a statement.
	The problems encountered by the Agency following the launch of the Reforms in 2003 are well documented and were widely publicised at the time. As a result of these problems the decision to bulk migrate and convert the caseload was deferred, although from the launch of the Reforms in March 2003 new rules applications to child support have continued to trigger the reactive migration of old rules cases from CSCS and following migration relevant cases have been reactively converted from old to new rules.
	The child maintenance White Paper A new system of child maintenance sets out radical and far-reaching proposals for the wholesale reform of the child maintenance system. Box 3.1 on page 54, details the expected timetable for transition to the new system.
	I hope you find this response helpful.

Children: Poverty

Natascha Engel: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions if he will estimate how many children would be lifted out of poverty if a 70 per cent. employment rate for lone parents whose youngest child is aged 11 years or over was to be achieved.

Jim Murphy: An accurate estimate of the impact on child poverty cannot be given. This is because the employment rate for lone parents with a youngest child aged 11 years or over is currently 69 per cent. The relatively small change involved in raising this to 70 per cent. creates problems of sampling error, preventing accurate estimates of impact.

Council Tax Benefits: Carlisle

Eric Martlew: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many pensioners living in the Carlisle City Council area are in receipt of council tax benefit.

James Plaskitt: As at August 2006, there were 4,310 council tax benefit recipients aged 60 and over in Carlisle local authority.
	 Notes:
	1. The data refer to benefit units, which may be a single person or a couple.
	2. The case load figure is rounded to the nearest 10.
	3. Figures exclude any second adult rebate cases.
	4. 'Aged 60 and over' is defined as benefit units where the claimant and/or partner are aged 60 and over. Therefore figures will contain some claimants aged under 60 where there is a partner aged over 60 years.
	 Source:
	Housing Benefit and Council Tax Benefit Management Information System Quarterly 100 per cent. case load stock-count taken in August 2006.

Departmental Fixed Assets

Mark Francois: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions which fixed assets his Department sold for more than 10,000 in  (a) 2004-05 and  (b) 2005-06; and what the (i) sale value, (ii) purchaser and (iii) date of sale was of each asset.

Anne McGuire: Fixed assets the Department has sold for more than 10,000 are as follows:
	
		
			  (a) in 2004-05 
			  Asset description  Asset category  (i) Sale value ()  (ii) Purchaser  (iii) Date of sale 
			 YG02JFE Honda CRV SE 2ltr Vehicle 10,475.12 Private buyer March 2005 
			 NL03VNB Volvo V40 1800 Vehicle 10,850.00 Sold at auction October 2004 
		
	
	
		
			  (b) in 2005-06 
			  Asset description  Asset category  (i) Sale value ()  (ii) Purchaser  (iii) Date of sale 
			 NA54FSY Toyota Avensis 2ltr Vehicle 10,735.69 Private buyer October 2005 
			 NG53AXR Toyota Avensis 2ltr Vehicle 11,000.00 Sold at auction May 2005 
			 NL04KWY Toyota Avensis 2ltr Vehicle 11,465.30 Private buyer July 2005 
			 NH53FKA Toyota Avensis 2ltr Vehicle 11,650.00 Sold at auction June 2005 
			 ND04JRV Toyota Avensis 2ltr Vehicle 11,650.00 Sold at auction August 2005 
			 FJ04RAX Nissan Xtrail 2.2 Vehicle 11,950.00 Sold at auction February 2006 
			 NM04VVL Toyota Avensis T spirit Vehicle 13,400.00 Sold at auction June 2005 
			 FG54ZSW Peugeot 407 SW Estate Vehicle 13,500.00 Sold at auction May 2005 
			  
			 Ranmoor Hall, Belgrave road, Ranmoor, Sheffield, S10 3LL Land and buildings 4,459,766.19 Sold to private buyer at auction October 2005 
			 Storey street, Hull Land 575,394.39 Private buyer March 2006

Departmental Offices

Vincent Cable: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what area of office space his Department and its agencies used in central London in  (a) 2004 and  (b) 2006; and if he will make a statement.

Anne McGuire: The Department for Work and Pensions does not own any land or property as DWP has an outsourced estate via a PFI contract known as PRIME. The majority of the DWP estate has been sold (freehold, feuhold and long leasehold interests) or transferred (short leasehold interests) to Land Securities Trillium. The proceeds were released to HM Treasury in April 1998 (for the original DSS estate) and further in December 2003 when PRIME was expanded to include the former ES estate.
	While DWP does not own any land/property the Department does occupy a number of buildings in Central London :
	 (a) During 2004 the NIA (net internal area) occupied was 75,688 sq m
	 (b) By December 2006 the NIA occupied was 66,068 sq m.

Departmental Staff

Philip Hammond: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions 
	(1)  what the percentage change in  (a) staff and  (b) staff with disabilities in his Department has been since 1 April 2002; and if he will make a statement;
	(2)  what the change in the proportion of his Department's staff with disabilities has been since 1 April 2002; and if he will make a statement;
	(3)  what steps he is taking to seek to reverse the decline in the proportion of his Department's employees who are disabled.

Anne McGuire: There has been an 8.53 per cent. reduction in staff headcount(1) between 31 March 2002 and 30 November 2006. There has been a 13.53 per cent. reduction in the number of disabled staff in the same period.
	The proportion of staff with disabilities has reduced from 5.45 per cent. to 5.36 per cent. between 31 March 2002 and 30 November 2006, a reduction of 0.09 per cent.
	Current figures are based on the proportion of staff who have voluntarily declared themselves as being disabled. However, we are aware that not all disabled staff declare their disability for departmental records, and the true figure may be higher than the figures shown. For example, the 2006 DWP Staff Survey (which is completed anonymously) showed that 13 per cent. of respondents considered themselves to have a long-standing health condition or disability.
	Additionally, in 2002 the proportion of disabled staff was calculated as a proportion of all staff. However, following revised guidance from the Cabinet Office we now exclude staff for whom we have no disability status declaration. The figures for 2006 therefore exclude staff who have chosen not to declare their disability status.
	The roll-out of a new computer system by the end of April this year will mean that we have a more accurate assessment of the numbers of disabled people working within the Department. As we roll out we are asking each member of staff to check the personal information we hold about them. A joint communications exercise with departmental trade unions to highlight the importance of individuals providing this information has also been planned.
	The Department for Work and Pensions published its Disability Equality Schemes on 1 December 2006. These set out the Department's approach to the Disability Equality Duty (introduced by the Disability Discrimination Act 2005), including its approach as an employer. In particular, this includes our arrangements for gathering information on the effect of our policies and practices on the recruitment, development and retention of our disabled employees and making use of that information.
	When we recruit externally, all advertisements contain the Positive About Disabled People Two Ticks Symbol, and the Department ensures that all applicants who declare a disability are given reasonable adjustments at each stage of the selection process to ensure they are competing on a level playing field.
	When disabled applicants are successful, all relevant adjustments are made, in consultation with the individual and expert advisers where appropriate. Managers keep under review any particular requirements that disabled employees may have, in line with the Two Ticks commitments.
	Activity to improve the numbers of employees of under-represented groups, including disabled people, within the Senior Civil Service is under wayand further action is planned. In line with other central Government Departments, these are detailed within our 10 Point Plan and include placing adverts and articles in the specialist press and ensuring that panel members have had more training in recruitment best practice, especially diversity and equality.
	(1) For reporting consistency Headcount refers to all staff in the permanent and fixed term staff populations. It excludes casual staff and those who are unpaid. The statistics for DWP exclude The Rent Service and Health and Safety Executive.

Departmental Databases

Nicholas Clegg: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what databases are controlled by his Department and its agencies; and what percentage of the data in each database he estimates is inaccurate or out of date.

Anne McGuire: It is not possible to provide this information without incurring disproportionate costs.
	The Department has several hundred IT systems, each of which has a database of some form. The accuracy and currency of the data held within them will vary depending on the purpose of the system.
	Systems which are used in the identification and control of customer records should be up to date at the point that a citizen last contacted us to inform us of their circumstance (or change of circumstance). The information is based on what is provided by the citizen and verified where appropriate.

Departmental Databases

Philip Dunne: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how often his Department's databases are updated with the revised details of individuals who have moved house.

James Plaskitt: The information is not available in the format requested. The Department for Work and Pensions has updated its records around 18.5 million times as a result of people changing address.

Departmental Paper

Lynne Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what mechanisms are in place to ensure his Department's economical use of paper.

Anne McGuire: DWP procurement policies require open competition and that these meet the cross-Government sustainable development targets. These policies recognise our responsibility to achieve value for money, make prudent use of natural resources and purchase sustainable goods and services.
	The Department competitively tenders for the best value for money on office paper and print products and has mandated the maximum percentage use of recycled office and printing paper. The products we use have levels of waste content that meet targets and are from sustainable and renewable sources.
	In addition, DWP staff are encouraged to reduce printing and photocopying, to use the duplexing facilities available on our office printers and photocopiers and to use the recycling facilities available in our offices for waste paper and many other recyclable items.
	DWP fully supports the cross-Government sustainable operations targets, launched last year, which include commitments to reduce waste and increase recycling.

Disability Living Allowance

Danny Alexander: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what proportion of income support entitled lone parent households receive disability living allowance for a child.

James Plaskitt: As at August 2006, 5.1 per cent. of lone parents in receipt of income support also received disability living allowance for a child. This is the most recent figure available.

Disability Living Allowance

Danny Alexander: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what proportion of looked-after children are entitled to disability living allowance.

Anne McGuire: The information is not available in the format requested.
	As at August 2006, the most recent date for which figures are available, 2.6 per cent. of children under 16 years of age were entitled claimants of disability living allowance.

Disability Living Allowance

Danny Alexander: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what the average age is of first award for under 18-year-olds entitled to disability living allowance.

Anne McGuire: As at August 2006, the most recent available figure, the average age at first award for disability living allowance for those aged under 18 years of age, in Great Britain, is seven years.

Disability Living Allowance

Danny Alexander: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many households in receipt of income support receive disability living allowance for a child in each of the last five years, broken down by component.

James Plaskitt: The available information is in the following table.
	
		
			  Income support claimants in Great Britain, who receive disability living allowance (DLA) for a child, by component: as at August each year 
			   Receiving care and mobility components of DLA  Receiving care component of DLA  Receiving mobility component of DLA 
			 2002 49,900 30,600 1,600 
			 2003 52,600 30,700 2,000 
			 2004 47,400 27,100 1,500 
			 2005 41,600 23,800 1,300 
			 2006 38,000 20,100 900 
			  Notes: 1. Figures have been uprated to 100 per cent. WPLS totals 2. Figures are rounded to the nearest hundred.  Source: DWP Information Directorate 5 per cent. sample.

Disability Living Allowance

Danny Alexander: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what the average length is of entitlement to disability living allowance awarded for a child.

Anne McGuire: As at August 2006, the most recent available figure, the average fixed award of disability living allowance to those claimants under 16 years of age was three and a half years.

Employment

Brian Jenkins: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many of his Department's jobs are located in Tamworth constituency.

Anne McGuire: The Department for Work and Pensions currently employs 52 staff (equating to 42.8 full-time equivalent posts) in the Tamworth constituency area.

Employment and Support Allowance

Ann Cryer: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions 
	(1)  what steps his Department has taken to ensure that claimants of the employment support allowance will be  (a) made aware of the benefits to which they may be entitled and  (b) signposted to benefits advice when appropriate;
	(2)  if he will introduce performance measures against which changes in  (a) awareness and  (b) take-up of other benefits by employment support allowance claimants can be measured.

Jim Murphy: It is right that people should have full access to information on the financial and other help available to them. We are continually reviewing the training of our staff to ensure that they are equipped to provide a good service to our customers.
	We already provide extensive background information on the full range of benefits, statutory entitlements and how to go about claiming them. We have made much progress in rationalising our leaflets and the information on our websites, and increasing the accuracy and availability of it.
	We have no current plans to introduce performance measures against which changes in  (a) awareness and  (b) take-up of other benefits by Employment and Support Allowance (ESA) claimants can be measured. However, as the implementation of the new ESA progresses we will continue working with all our stakeholders to ensure that relevant information gets to the right people, at the right time, and in the right way.

Employment Schemes

Frank Field: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many participants in Employment Zone programmes found work and maintained their job with help for over 13 weeks in each month since April 2000.

Jim Murphy: Since Employment Zones started in April 2000, 82,240 jobs have been gained. Of those moving into work through the programme, around 80 per cent. have moved into sustained employment lasting 13 weeks or more.
	The information on the number of jobs gained in each month, and the number of those jobs lasting at least 13 weeks is in the following table.
	
		
			  Employment Zones 
			   Number of jobs gained  O f which, lasted at least 13 weeks 
			  2000   
			 April 20 10 
			 May 100 90 
			 June 260 230 
			 July 290 240 
			 August 500 440 
			 September 780 660 
			 October 800 660 
			 November 920 760 
			 December 880 640 
			
			  2001   
			 January 920 750 
			 February 1,090 890 
			 March 1,710 1,370 
			 April 1,470 1,150 
			 May 1,340 1,060 
			 June 1,700 1,260 
			 July 1,260 1,000 
			 August 1,470 1,150 
			 September 1,350 1,000 
			 October 1,310 950 
			 November 1,430 1,050 
			 December 710 490 
			
			  2002   
			 January 740 550 
			 February 900 680 
			 March 1,250 980 
			 April 980 740 
			 May 1,180 860 
			 June 940 700 
			 July 950 690 
			 August 1,150 870 
			 September 1,050 790 
			 October 1,020 770 
			 November 1,230 830 
			 December 640 430 
			
			  2003   
			 January 800 580 
			 February 870 660 
			 March 1,030 780 
			 April 880 680 
			 May 1,080 820 
			 June 1,110 810 
			 July 990 750 
			 August 1,240 900 
			 September 1,160 830 
			 October 1,340 920 
			 November 950 700 
			 December 600 400 
			
			  2004   
			 January 760 580 
			 February 860 660 
			 March 910 720 
			 April 1,010 780 
			 May 880 650 
			 June 910 680 
			 July 1,180 890 
			 August 1,000 790 
			 September 1,170 930 
			 October 1,450 1,140 
			 November 1,090 850 
			 December 730 560 
			
			  2005   
			 January 750 640 
			 February 970 800 
			 March 970 780 
			 April 1,220 1,040 
			 May 1,030 860 
			 June 940 790 
			 July 1,430 1,240 
			 August 1,020 870 
			 September 1,610 1,360 
			 October 1,290 1,110 
			 November 1,240 1,070 
			 December 940 800 
			
			  2006   
			 January 840 740 
			 February 980 860 
			 March 1,360 1,210 
			 April 1,040 930 
			 May 1,200 1060 
			 June 1,540 1,390 
			 July 1,240 1,160 
			 August 1,210 1,150 
			 September 1,840 1,760 
			 October 1,280 1,250 
			  Notes: 1. Figures are rounded to the nearest 10. 2. Data is for jobs not individuals. 3. Data is to October 2006.  Source: Information Directorate, DWP.

Employment Schemes

Frank Field: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what the cumulative cost to his Department has been of the Restart Programme.

Jim Murphy: holding answer 7 March 2007
	The full information requested is not available.
	The total cost of the Restart Programme and associated activities in Jobcentre Plus, over the financial years 2004-05 and 2005-06, is estimated at 70 million.
	The data for Restart has been supplied by using Jobcentre Plus Activity Based Information (ABI). No information is available before 2003-04.

Employment Schemes

Mark Lancaster: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions 
	(1)  how many individuals who attended the mandatory jobseeker's challenge were placed in employment within  (a) one month,  (b) three months and  (c) six months of undertaking the course since its inception;
	(2)  how many unemployed individuals have attended the new Government pilot scheme, the mandatory jobseeker's challenge.

Jim Murphy: The Jobseeker's Mandatory Activity (JMA) pilot is a two year pilot which started in April 2006 and is operating in 10 Jobcentre Plus districts. In pilot locations, people aged 25 and over who have been in receipt of jobseeker's allowance or national insurance credits only for more than six months are required to attend a three day JMA course. The course helps to build confidence, increase motivation and improve job search skills and is followed by three interviews with a Personal Adviser.
	Between April 2006 and February 2007, 17,537 people had completed the JMA course. Separate data is not available for those attending but not completing the course.
	Information on those entering work one month, three months and six months after participating in JMA can be obtained only at disproportionate cost. Results from the pilot will be included in an evaluation which will be published next year.

Employment Schemes: Manpower

David Ruffley: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what the planned expenditure is for the Jobcentre Plus Change Programme; what the aims of the Programme are; what the targets are for the Programme; and how many staff the Programme employs.

Jim Murphy: The administration of Jobcentre Plus is a matter for the Chief Executive of Jobcentre Plus, Lesley Strathie. I have asked her to provide the hon. Member with the information requested.
	 Letter from Lesley Strathie, dated 16 April 2007:
	The Secretary of State has asked me to reply to your question asking what the planned expenditure is for the Jobcentre Plus Change Programme; what the aims of the Programme are; what the targets are for the Programme; and how many staff the Programme employs. This is something which falls within the responsibilities delegated to me as Chief Executive of Jobcentre Plus.
	The budget allocated for the Jobcentre Plus Change Programme is 545 million for 2006-7 and 594 million for 2007-8. There are currently 360 staff employed on projects within the programme.
	The aims of the Jobcentre Plus Change Programme are to:
	deliver strategic change to support the Government's Welfare to Work priorities, including introducing the new Employment and Support Allowance for people with a health condition or disability;
	support business efficiency by changes to processes and systems;
	test and pilot new approaches to services, for example by implementing additional support for lone parents;
	maintain existing systems with a planned schedule of new releases.
	Each part of the Jobcentre Plus Change Programme has its own targets which require them to deliver changes to agreed specifications of time, cost and quality. These requirements are captured in individual business cases that are formally approved and regularly reviewed. Change Programme projects comply with standard project and programme management disciplines. The overall programme is reviewed at least monthly to monitor whether it is on track in categories such as schedules, resources, risk, governance, business readiness and benefits.
	I hope this is helpful.

Gershon Review

Vincent Cable: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what efficiency savings have been made in his Department and agencies as a result of the Gershon review; and if he will make a statement.

Anne McGuire: At the time that the Gershon efficiency savings targets were set for the Department for Work and Pensions we already had in excess of 90 projects, programmes and initiatives under way or being considered that contributed to the Department's efficiency through modernisation of the Department's systems and processes.
	After the setting of these targets the programme was reviewed in order to ensure that it would deliver the necessary efficiencies. Where appropriate projects, programmes and initiatives were modified to take into account these new targets. Additionally new projects, programmes and initiatives were assessed for their contribution to the efficiency targets.
	The Department has not undertaken any project, programme or initiative solely on the basis of delivering the efficiency challenge, but on the basis of delivering value for money to taxpayers while delivering improvements to our customers' experience and contributing to the Department's achievement of its efficiency challenge.
	Efficiency savings reported up to September 2006 were 874 million.

Gershon Review

Vincent Cable: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how much has been spent by his Department and agencies on achieving Gershon efficiency savings; whether these costs are accounted for and included in the reports of headline efficiency savings; and if he will make a statement.

Anne McGuire: The Department for Work and Pensions follows the reporting requirements set for Gershon efficiency savings which do not require that efficiencies be recorded net of upfront investment costs. The efficiencies reported derive both from core management best practice initiatives and from specific efficiency projects. It is not possible to isolate how much has been spent in order to achieve Gershon efficiency savings without incurring disproportionate cost.

Housing Benefit

Danny Alexander: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many and what proportion of housing benefit recipients  (a) have children and  (b) receive a premium for a disabled child.

James Plaskitt: The available information is in the following table.
	
		
			  Housing benefit (HB) recipients with dependants/a disabled child premium: Great Britain, May 2003 
			   Number/percentage 
			 Number HB recipients with dependants 1,162,000 
			 Percentage HB recipients with dependants 30.6 
			 Number HB recipients with a disabled child premium 78,000 
			 Percentage HB recipients with a disabled child premium 2 
			  Notes: 1. Case loads are rounded to the nearest thousand and percentages to one decimal place. 2. Figures are based on a 1 per cent. sample and are therefore subject to a degree of sampling variation. 3. The data refer to benefit units, which may be a single person or a couple. 4. Housing benefit figures exclude any extended payment cases. 5. Dependants are defined as children aged under 16 or young adults aged 16 to 18 in full time education.  Source: Housing Benefit and Council Tax Benefit Management Information System, annual 1 per cent. sample, taken in May 2003.

Housing Benefit: Shared Housing

Jo Swinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many young housing benefit recipients were subject to the shared room rate restriction in each region in each year since its introduction.

James Plaskitt: The available information is in the following table:
	
		
			  Housing benefit recipients subject to the Single Room Rent (SRR) scheme by Government office region: August 1997 to August 2006 
			   1997  1998  1999  2000  2001  2002  2003  2004  2005  2006 
			 North East 1,570 1,550 1,130 1,070 740 740 860 720 800 730 
			 North West 4,810 3,560 2,910 2,250 1,870 1,710 1,780 1,780 1,660 1,660 
			 Yorkshire and Humberside 2,980 2,980 2,330 1,620 1,250 1,110 1,020 970 1,060 820 
			 East Midlands 2,800 2,090 1,240 860 1,140 840 470 570 490 560 
			 West Midlands 1,900 2,130 1,630 1,400 870 750 1,180 1,350 760 830 
			 East 2,620 2,500 1,800 1,320 960 700 560 680 820 740 
			 London 4,950 4,150 3,130 1,930 1,380 1,140 1,230 1,480 1,800 1,780 
			 South East 4,200 3,690 2,760 1,780 970 750 760 1,160 1,520 1,430 
			 South West 4,320 3,960 2,700 2,050 1,760 1,130 900 960 940 1,030 
			 Wales 2,120 2,090 1,690 1,200 1,030 900 910 940 980 920 
			 Scotland 2,050 1,560 1,210 1,080 920 860 940 960 950 810 
			  Notes: 1. The data refers to benefit units, which may be a single person or a couple. 2. Figures have been rounded to the nearest 10. 3. Housing benefit figures exclude any extended payment cases. 4. Figures for any non-responding local authorities have been estimated. 5. Totals may not sum due to rounding.  Source: Housing Benefit and Council Tax Benefit Management Information System Quarterly 100 per cent. caseload stock-count taken in August 1997 to August 2006

Income Support

Peter Bottomley: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many people  (a) below and  (b) above national retirement age were claiming income support in (i) 1997 and (ii) 2006.

James Plaskitt: The available information is in the following table:
	
		
			  Income support (IS) claimants in Great Britain by age: as at August 1997 and August 2006 
			   IS claimants 60 years of age and over  IS claimants under 60 years of age 
			 August 1997 1,741,800 2,304,700 
			 August 2006 (1) 2,128,520 
			 (1)( )Income support for those aged 60 and over was replaced by minimum income guarantee (MIG) in April 1999. MIG was, in turn, replaced by pension credit in October 2003. No comparable data is available for 2006.  Notes: 1. 1997 figures are rounded to the nearest 100, 2006 figures to the nearest 10. 2. 1997 figures have been uprated using 5 per cent. proportions against 100 per cent. WPLS totals.  Source: 100 per cent. Work and Pensions Longitudinal Study Information Directorate, 5 per cent. samples.

Jobcentre Plus

Nicholas Clegg: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many branches of Jobcentre Plus there are in England and Wales.

Jim Murphy: The administration of Jobcentre Plus is a matter for the Chief Executive of Jobcentre Plus, Lesley Strathie. I have asked her to provide the hon. Member with the information requested.
	 Letter from Lesley Strathie, dated 12 April 2007:
	The Secretary of State has asked me to reply to your question asking how many branches of Jobcentre Plus there are in England and Wales. This is something that falls within the responsibilities delegated to me as Chief Executive of Jobcentre Plus.
	The current Jobcentre Plus network in England and Wales consists of 717 Jobcentres providing face to face access for customers. In addition we have 28 Contact Centres, which allow customers to access our services using telephones. There are currently 68 Benefit Delivery Centres in England and Wales which process benefit, and a further two Benefit Delivery Centres, one in Scotland and one in Northern Ireland which also process benefit for customers in London. Within our network we have a number of other feeder sites, some of which have a dual role as front facing offices, still processing benefit. These sites will reduce month on month as they migrate work into the main Benefit Delivery Centres by March 2008.
	Customers are now using our Jobcentres differently. More of our face-to-face customer contact is on an appointment basis and information on job vacancies is readily available by telephone and the internet. This enables staff in our offices to focus on those customers in greatest need of support to return to work.
	I hope this information is helpful.

Jobcentres: Norfolk

Christopher Fraser: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions 
	(1)  which stakeholders his Department has invited to comment on the proposals to close Jobcentre Plus branches in Norfolk;
	(2)  what recent representations he has received from trade unions on proposals to close Jobcentre Plus branches in Norfolk;
	(3)  what steps his Department has taken to ensure that the public is aware of the consultation exercise on the future of Jobcentre Plus branches in Norfolk;
	(4)  why Cabinet Office guidelines for the length of a consultation period have not been applied to the consultation on the future of Norfolk's Jobcentre Plus branches;

Jim Murphy: The administration of Jobcentre Plus is a matter for the Chief Executive of Jobcentre Plus, Lesley Strathie. I have asked her to provide the hon. Member with the information requested.
	 Letter from Lesley Strathie, dated 12 April 2007:
	The Secretary of State has asked me to reply to your questions about the consultation process regarding the closures of Jobcentres in Norfolk. This is something that falls within the responsibilities delegated to me as Chief Executive of Jobcentre Plus.
	The stakeholders invited to comment on the proposals to close Jobcentre Plus offices were the Members of Parliament for the constituencies affected, Chief Executives and Welfare Benefits Advisers of the Local Authorities concerned, Citizens Advice representatives, Primary Care Trusts, Trade Union representatives, providers of Jobcentre Plus programmes, the Learning and Skills Council, the Government Office for the East of England and the East of England Development Agency.
	There have been informal discussions at a local level between the District Manager and local Union officials. We have not yet received a formal response to the consultation from the trade unions.
	Apart from consultation with stakeholders we have put a prominently displayed statement in each of our Jobcentres advising customers of our plans and giving the contact details of the District Manager for Jobcentre Plus in Norfolk, should they wish to comment on the proposals. To date the District Manager has received four responses from customers who use Hunstanton Jobcentre and none from any of the other Jobcentres.
	The Cabinet Office guidance on consultation issues relates to proposed new policy initiatives, or changes to existing policy. Jobcentre closures are operational issues. For Jobcentre Plus we are using a six week consultation period. This period has recently been extended from three weeks at the request of Ministers. We think that this allows ample time for the views of stakeholders to be considered.

National Insurance Numbers

David Ruffley: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many national insurance numbers were  (a) issued,  (b) deleted and  (c) current in each year since 1997.

James Plaskitt: The available information is in the following tables.
	
		
			  Total number of national insurance numbers issued between 1997 and 2006 
			   Number 
			 1997 1,017,500 
			 1998 1,026,885 
			 1999 1,021,776 
			 2000 995,351 
			 2001 928,059 
			 2002 1,082,035 
			 2003 1,141,795 
			 2004 1,250,622 
			 2005 1,486,312 
			 2006 1,531,786 
			  Note:  The number of national insurance numbers (NINOs) issued includes the following:  1. Children who reach 16 years of age (the juvenile registration process);  2. UK adults who missed out on the juvenile registration process; and  3.Foreign nationals who enter the UK and require a NINO for benefit, tax credit or employment purposes (adult NINO allocation process). 
		
	
	
		
			  Total approximate number of national insurance numbers in issue at 31 December in each year between 1997 and 2006 
			   Number (million) 
			 1997 66 
			 1998 67 
			 1999 68 
			 2000 69 
			 2001 70 
			 2002 71 
			 2003 72 
			 2004 73 
			 2005 74.5 
			 2006 76.8 
		
	
	The discrepancy between the number of NINOs allocated and the increase in the overall numbers of cases in issue is due to the differences in Child Reference Numbers allocated and those changing to NINOs at aged 16 years, which is closely linked to birth rates over a 16-year period.
	NINOs are not normally deleted from the Departmental Central Index (DCI) or Customer Information System (CIS). For example, they are retained after a person dies or moves abroad. This is because individuals who move abroad may at some point have a call upon contributions paid whilst in the UK. In the case of deceased individuals, a partner may make a claim for a contributory benefit, which is dependent on the contribution record of the deceased individual. This means that the number of accounts held on the system accrues as NINOs are allocated each year.
	A joint data cleansing exercise was carried out in 2000-01 with Her Majesty's Revenue and Customs, who jointly own the NINO. This exercise identified NINOs for which there had been no activity for a considerable period of time and which were not known to the National Insurance Recording System (NIRs). This exercise removed 200,000 NINOs from DCI.

New Deal Schemes

Frank Field: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions pursuant to the answer given to the right hon. Member for Birkenhead on 19 March 2007,  Official Report, column 643W, how he determines whether a person leaving the new deal rolls has found a job.

Jim Murphy: The data provided on 19 March 2007,  Official Report, column 643W, on whether a person has left new deal for lone parents to a job is obtained from the Work and Pensions Longitudinal Study, which draws together data from Department for Work and Pensions computer systems and from employment records supplied by Her Majesty's Revenue and Customs.

New Deal Schemes

Roberta Blackman-Woods: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what assessment he has made of the cost to the public purse of an unemployed person returning to work under  (a) the new deal self-employment programme and  (b) other new deal programmes.

Jim Murphy: I refer the hon. Member to the written answer I gave to her on 23 March 2007,  Official Report, columns 1184-86.

New Deal Schemes: Kidderminster

Richard Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what assessment he has made of the extent to which Pertemps People Development Group Ltd. are meeting the terms of the contract by which they operate the New Deal provision for the Jobcentre Plus in Kidderminster.

Jim Murphy: All new deal contractors are required to meet the quality and delivery standards set out in their contract specification. They are subject to contract management and monitoring by professional and trained Jobcentre Plus procurement staff, in addition to any required Adult Learning Inspectorate inspection and audit.

New Deal Schemes: Sanctions

David Ruffley: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many benefit claimants under the  (a) New Deal for Lone Parents,  (b) New Deal for Young People,  (c) New Deal 25 Plus,  (d) New Deal for Disabled People and  (e) StepUP have been subject to sanctions (i) once, (ii) twice and (iii) three times or more in each year since the introduction of the scheme, broken down by reason for sanction; and how many claimants sanctioned subsequently had their benefit reinstated.

Jim Murphy: New deal for lone parents and new deal for disabled people are voluntary programmes and benefit sanctions are not applied to these programmes.
	Between April and December 2002, twenty StepUP pilots were launched in selected wards across Great Britain. The last client left StepUp in January 2006. Information on StepUP sanctions is not held centrally and could be obtained only at disproportionate costs.
	Information on benefit re-instatement is not available.
	The available information has been placed in the Library.

Pathways to Work: Standards

David Ruffley: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what discussions his Department has had on the Freud Report proposal of the introduction of a star system by Jobcentre Plus to measure provider performance in Pathways to Work; and if he will make a statement.

Jim Murphy: David Freud's report Reducing dependency, increasing opportunity: options for the future of welfare to work does not propose the introduction of a star system to measure provider performance in Pathways to Work. The report proposes, as part of a new contracting system, that
	the Department will need to develop monitoring capability similar to the successful Star Rating system developed in Australia.
	The Department has been developing such a capability and will be introducing a prototype for new deal and employment zone contracts in April 2007, in order to test the concept.

Pesticides: Export Controls

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what his policy is on the export to developing countries of pesticides banned for use in the UK.

Anne McGuire: Export of pesticides to developing countries, in line with most requirements on chemicals, is subject to European law. EC Regulation 304/2003/EC concerning the export and import of certain dangerous chemicals includes provisions that provide importing countries with information on chemicals that are banned in Europe, and enable them to make informed decisions on whether they want to accept or refuse the export, or to allow it under conditions. The regulation also bans the export of certain pesticides. The regulation incorporates the provisions of the Rotterdam Convention on the Prior Informed Consent Procedure for Certain Hazardous Chemicals and Pesticides in International Trade.

Smith Institute: Finance

Mark Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how much money from the public purse  (a) his Department and  (b) its agencies gave to (i) the Smith Institute and (ii) its subsidiary SI Events Limited in each year since 1997; and for what purpose each payment was made.

Anne McGuire: Expenditure recorded in the Department for Work and Pensions Financial systems for the Smith Institute is as follows:
	
		
			  Payment dateAC 
			 17 April 2000 29.95 Management conference 
			 7 January 2003 50.00 Subscriptions 
			 5 August 2003 150.00 Staff training 
			 28 September 2004 50.00 Subscriptions 
			 3 October 2005 150.00 Other general expenditure 
			 22 December 2005 50.00 Subscriptions 
			 8 November 2006 50.00 General office expenditure

Social Fund

Philip Hammond: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many applications to the Social Fund were  (a) successful and  (b) unsuccessful in each of the last 12 months for which figures are available.

James Plaskitt: The information is not available in the format requested. Such information as is available is in the following tables.
	
		
			  Initial awards and refusals for community care grants, crisis loans and budgeting loans in Great Britain 
			   Community Care Grants  Crisis Loans  Budgeting Loans 
			   Initial awards  Initial refusals  Initial awards  Initial refusals  Initial awards  Initial refusals 
			 March 2006 24,900 28,200 92,700 29,800 108,100 29,600 
			 April 2006 19,700 20,300 70,900 21,100 100,800 17,800 
			 May 2006 23,400 25,200 82,000 24,200 133,600 21,800 
			 June 2006 25,300 29,000 87,900 25,600 129,300 25,100 
			 July 2006 21,500 25,100 79,900 24,900 115,900 23,700 
			 August 2006 22,500 26,700 85,700 27,500 114,500 26,500 
			 September 2006 21,400 26,800 84,100 26,600 96,300 39,400 
			 October 2006 25,300 31,200 97,600 29,700 107,800 44,800 
			 November 2006 26,600 33,300 101,000 32,700 130,400 74,600 
			 December 2006 19,000 24,100 83,900 25,600 90,800 45,300 
			 January 2007 22,000 26,200 101,200 29,700 62,000 38,100 
			 February 2007 22,100 26,200 95,200 31,000 101,600 26,100 
		
	
	
		
			  Initial awards and refusals for Sure Start maternity grants and funeral payments in Great Britain 
			   Sure Start maternity grants  Funeral payments 
			   Initial awards  Initial refusals  Initial awards  Initial refusals 
			 March 2006 19,800 9,100 3,600 2,600 
			 April 2006 15,500 7,300 2,500 2,100 
			 May 2006 18,900 8,700 3,300 2,400 
			 June 2006 20,000 9,200 3,300 2,400 
			 July 2006 19,400 9,200 3,000 2,200 
			 August 2006 18,500 8,900 3,400 2,500 
			 September 2006 19,400 9,500 2,900 2,200 
			 October 2006 19,000 9,600 3,100 2,300 
			 November 2006 19,700 9,400 3,000 2,300 
			 December 2006 14,700 6,600 2,200 1,700 
			 January 2007 20,900 9,400 3,200 2,500 
			 February 2007 17,600 8,500 3,400 2,600 
		
	
	
		
			  Initial awards and refusals for social fund applications (all five types) in Great Britain 
			   Initial awards  Initial refusals 
			 March 2006 249,100 99,300 
			 April 2006 209,500 68,600 
			 May 2006 261,100 82,200 
			 June 2006 265,800 91,300 
			 July 2006 239,800 85,100 
			 August 2006 244,600 92,200 
			 September 2006 224,200 104,500 
			 October 2006 252,800 117,600 
			 November 2006 280,700 152,300 
			 December 2006 210,800 103,200 
			 January 2007 200,300 106,000 
			 February 2007 239,800 94,200 
			  Notes: 1. Figures do not include awards or refusals made after review, reconsideration or appeal. 2. Figures have been rounded to the nearest 100. 3. Figures may not sum due to rounding.  Source: DWP Social Fund Policy, Budget and Management Information System.

Social Fund

John McDonnell: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what measures  (a) have been and  (b) are planned to be put in place to assist (i) pensioners and (ii) claimants for whom English is a second language in accessing the Social Fund system.

Jim Murphy: The administration of Jobcentre Plus is a matter for the Chief Executive of Jobcentre Plus, Lesley Strathie. I have asked her to provide my hon. Friend with the information requested.
	 Letter from Lesley Strathie, dated 16 April 2007:
	The Secretary of State has asked me to reply to your question asking what measures (a) have been and (b) are planned to be put in place to assist (i) pensioners and (ii) claimants for whom English is a second language in accessing the Social Fund system. This is something that falls within the responsibilities delegated to me as Chief Executive of Jobcentre Plus.
	Pensioners can make enquiries about the Social Fund to the Pension Service or to Jobcentre Plus. Pension Centres hold stocks of Social Fund application forms and staff will give general advice about the Social Fund. If more detailed information is required customers will be directed to their nearest Jobcentre Plus office that deals with the Social Fund.
	With regard to customers for whom English is a second language, it is the policy of the Department for Work and Pensions to provide an interpreter when there is a need to communicate with a customer who is unable to communicate adequately in English, and who cannot, or does not wish, to provide their own interpreter. This service can be provided by the use of multi-lingual staff, the use of face-to-face interpreters, either from known local interpreting services, or from the departmental face-to-face interpreting contract or by using the Departmental telephone interpreting contract.
	The Jobcentre Plus leaflet Jobcentre PlusOur service standards gives customers information about help available if they do not speak English. This leaflet is available on the Jobcentre Plus Internet website in a number of languages. There are also four leaflets dealing specifically with the Social Fund that are available in English or Welsh in a printed version and that can also be accessed along with versions in several other languages via the Jobcentre Plus Internet.
	There are no additional measures planned to assist pensioners or customers for whom English is a second language in accessing the Social Fund.

Social Fund

John McDonnell: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions if he will place in the Library copies of the  (a) race impact assessments,  (b) gender impact assessments and  (c) disability impact assessments for the four London transitional offices prior to the centralisation of Social Fund work in London in the 2007-08 financial year.

Jim Murphy: The administration of Jobcentre Plus is a matter for the chief executive of Jobcentre Plus, Lesley Strathie. I have asked her to provide my hon. Friend with the information requested.
	 Letter from Lesley Strathie, dated 16 April 2007:
	The Secretary of State for Work and Pensions has asked me to reply to your question asking if he will place in the Library copies of the (a) race impact assessments, (b) gender impact assessments and (c) disability impact assessments for the four London transitional offices prior to the centralisation of Social Fund work in London in the 2007- 08 financial year. This is something that falls within the responsibilities delegated to me as Chief Executive of Jobcentre Plus.
	The Race Impact Assessment for London Benefit processing has been published on the Jobcentre Plus website (www.jobcentreplus.gov.uk) and a copy will be placed in the Library.
	We are in the process of reviewing the Race Impact Assessment with our Diversity and Equality colleagues, taking into account changes which have taken place since May 2005. This review will also include gender and disability Impact Assessments and will be completed by May 2007. The outcome of the review will be published on the Jobcentre Plus website and a copy will be placed in the Library.

Social Fund: Greater London

John McDonnell: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what the total current unrecovered Social Fund debt is; and what the figure is for  (a) London and  (b) each office in London.

James Plaskitt: The information is in the following table:
	
		
			  Social fund debt balances 
			  000 
			   Budgeting loan  Crisis loan  Funeral payment  Total 
			 National 601,339 205,910 99,081 906,329 
			  
			 Total London 86,872 28,882 19,131 134,885 
			  
			  London offices 
			 Canning Town 12,380 3,831 3,015 19,226 
			 Bexley 2 0 0 2 
			 Acton 7,768 4,942 1,715 14,426 
			 Highgate 7,931 3,557 1,606 13,095 
			 SE London 19,749 5,747 3,304 28,799 
			 Ilford 9,038 1,653 1,607 12,298 
			 Harrow 7,904 2,976 3,280 14,161 
			 Balham 12,414 4,781 2,555 19,750 
			 Wood Green 1 1 0 1 
			 Barnet Hill 9,685 1 ,395 2,048 13,127 
			  Notes: 1. Balances have been taken as at 28 February 2007. 2. London has been defined as all offices within the London Government office region. 3. Totals may not appear as sum of the individual lines due to rounding.  Source: Social Fund Computer System.

Social Fund: Greater London

John McDonnell: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how much Social Fund debt was written off in each of the last five years for which figures are available; and what the figure was for London in each year.

James Plaskitt: The information is in the following table.
	
		
			  Social fund debts written off 2001-02 to 2005-06, nationally and for London 
			  000 
			   2001-02  2002-03  2003-04  2004-05  2005-06 
			  National  
			 Budgeting loans 1,486 1,463 1,234 1,315 2,060 
			 Crisis loans 448 463 120 551 922 
			 Funeral payments 32,035 31,081 25,587 37,991 41,867 
			 Total 33,970 33,007 26,940 39,857 44,850 
			   
			  London  
			 Budgeting loans 155 96 123 41 320 
			 Crisis loans 62 44 28 16 130 
			 Funeral payments 2,949 3,406 1,365 2,541 2,511 
			 Total 3,165 3,546 1,516 2,598 2,961 
			  Notes: 1. London has been defined as all offices within the London Government office region as at 30 March 2007. 2. Totals may not appear as sum of the individual lines due to rounding.  Source: Programme Accounting Computer System.

Social Security Benefits

Peter Bottomley: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many people were claiming  (a) jobseeker's allowance,  (b) incapacity benefits and  (c) disability allowance in (i) 1997 and (ii) 2006; and how many of these categories of data are classified as national statistics.

James Plaskitt: The available information is in the following table. Claimant numbers for all three benefits are DWP National Statistics.
	
		
			  Jobseeker's allowance, incapacity benefit, and severe disablement allowance claimants in Great Britain; as at August 1997 and 2006 
			  Benefit  August 1997  August 2006 
			 Jobseeker's allowance 1,465,500 924,200 
			 Incapacity benefit 2,455,100 2,447,960 
			 Severe disablement allowance 383,400 277,020 
			  Notes: 1. Jobseeker's allowance figures have been rounded to the nearest 100. 2. Jobseeker's allowance figures are seasonally adjusted. 3. Claimant figures for incapacity benefit include incapacity benefit credits only cases.  Sources: 100 per cent. DWP Work and Pensions Longitudinal Study (WPLS) and 100 per cent. Count of claimants of unemployment-related benefits, Jobcentre Plus Computer Systems.

Social Security Benefits

Martin Horwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what criteria are used to decide the levels of payments made for  (a) income support,  (b) jobseeker's allowance and  (c) the carer's allowance; and if he will make a statement.

James Plaskitt: The Government take into account a number of factors when reviewing benefit rates each year, the most important of which is the level of inflation. For some years, carer's allowance has been increased in line with the retail prices index. However, jobseeker's allowance and income support are increased by the Rossi index, which is based on the retail prices index and reflects the costs of living increases for people living on these benefits.

Social Security Benefits: Disabled

Jeremy Hunt: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many people who claim disability living allowance are also claiming  (a) industrial injuries disablement benefit,  (b) war disablement pension,  (c) funding from the independent living fund and  (d) constant attendance allowance.

Anne McGuire: As at August 2006, the most recent available information, there were 253,360 people in receipt of both disability living allowance and industrial injuries disablement benefit.
	Information is not available on the numbers receiving both disability living allowance and war disablement pension.
	As at 10 March 2007, there were 19,234 people receiving disability living allowance and financial assistance from the Independent Living Funds.
	As at August 2006, the most recent available information, there were 2,140 people in receipt of both disability living allowance and constant attendance allowance.

Social Security Benefits: Disabled

Laurence Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what benefits are available for people with disabilities who are below the retirement age but receive private pensions; and if he will make a statement.

Anne McGuire: The Department administers a wide range of working age benefits to cover different needs and circumstances. All of these could be available to people with disabilities who receive private pensions. However, entitlement to each benefit, and the amount payable, would depend on a person meeting the relevant conditions.

Social Security Benefits: Fraud

David Ruffley: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many cases were referred to the National Identity Fraud Unit in each year since 1997; how many of these cases were investigated in each year; and how many of these cases resulted in a conviction in each year.

James Plaskitt: Information is not available as to how many of the cases referred to the National Identity Fraud Unit (NIFU) led to a conviction.
	The available information is in the following table.
	
		
			  NIFU referrals 
			   Number of cases referred to NIFU( 1)  Number of cases referred by NIFU to Fraud Investigation Services( 2) 
			 1998-99 3,823 (3) 
			 1999-2000 5,354 (3) 
			 2000-01 4397 (3) 
			 2001-02 3,111 (3) 
			 2002-03 (4)14,665 (3) 
			 2003-04 (4)39,555 400 
			 2004-05 7,227 793 
			 2005-06 8,891 2,689 
			 (1) Data regarding the number of cages referred to the NIFU not available prior to 1998-99.  (2) Not all cases referred to NIFU are referred to the DWP Fraud Investigation Service for investigation. Many are referred to other Government Departments either as intelligence files or for further investigation. The Fraud Investigation Service will only investigate referrals which involve a claim to benefit. Many cases referred to NIFU do not involve benefit cases.  (3) Data not available.  (4) There was a large increase in the number of referrals in 2002-03 and 2003-04 due to Operation Esme, which was a joint operation with the Home Department which flagged a few thousand immigration offenders to prevent incorrect payment of benefit.   Source:  National Identity Fraud Unit

Social Security Benefits: Highland Council

Danny Alexander: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions whether his Department plans to continue to fund two posts in the benefit maximisation team at Highland Council after the end of March.

James Purnell: holding answer 27 March 2007
	No. Under the Link-Age Programme, it was made clear to contractors that funds from The Partnership Fund were time limited and there was no expectation that future funding would be sought from any source, or any extension of funding granted. The purpose of the project was solely for information gathering and evaluation to inform any future strategies and policies.

Social Security Benefits: Postal Services

Philip Dunne: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how much the bodies responsible for awarding  (a) pension credit,  (b) housing benefit,  (c) income support,  (d) jobseeker's allowance,  (e) incapacity benefit,  (f) council tax benefit and  (g) state pension have spent on sending mail items in each of the last five years.

James Plaskitt: Spend on sending mail items in the last five years is detailed in the following table. The Pension Service is responsible for awarding pension credit and state pension. Jobcentre Plus is responsible for awarding income support, jobseekers allowance and incapacity benefit. Housing and council tax benefit is awarded by the claimant's local authority. No spend data is available and is not included therefore in the table.
	
		
			   
			   2002  2003  2004  2005  2006  Total 
			 Pension credit 656,038 2,173,101 3,724,827 3,174,754 2,740,667 12,469,387 
			 Income support 9,124,182 8,356,140 5,717,443 4,450,273 4,379,241 32,027,280 
			 Jobseeker's allowance 9,207,774 8,462,737 6,788,897 4,749,119 4,958,421 34,166,949 
			 Incapacity benefit 3,267,726 2,835,358 2,603,215 2,014,279 2,159,758 12,880,337 
			 State pension 5,859,451 6,376,488 6,027,215 4,559,554 6,093,716 28,916,424 
			 Total 28,115,172 28,203,824 24,861,597 18,947,980 20,331,804 120,460,377

Social Security Benefits: Sanctions

David Ruffley: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what assessment his Department has made of the effect of benefit sanctions.

James Plaskitt: There is strong evidence to suggest that sanctions do drive behaviour. Of those claiming jobseekers allowance (JSA) the vast majority comply with the JSA conditions; only 14 per cent. Are actually referred for a decision and only 4 per cent. Actually have a sanction applied. Research of those that have and have not been sanctioned on JSA found that nearly half of those sanctioned think their own sanction was fair.
	80 per cent. Of lone parents attend work focused interviews (WFI). Of the 20 per cent. Who fail to attend the majority, two thirds, go on to attend their subsequent WFI following a sanction or threat of a sanction.
	In the pathways pilots only around 1 per cent. Of customers have been sanctioned.
	These figures suggest that the overwhelming majority of claimants meet the conditions and understand the need for sanctions when those conditions are not met.
	While there is a financial penalty to sanctions the threat of sanctioning is usually enough to deter non-compliance with the rules. But where there is non-compliance and a sanction is applied, it has to be sufficient to drive home the message that benefit is only paid to those who meet the conditions.

Social Security Benefits: Telephone Services

David Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many calls were made to the 08456 088564 Jobcentre Plus number of the Department for Work and Pensions in each of the last six months; what average time was taken to answer calls in each month; and how many missed calls there were in each month.

Jim Murphy: The administration of Jobcentre Plus is a matter for the Chief Executive of Jobcentre Plus, Lesley Strathie. I have asked her to provide the hon. Member with the information requested.
	 Letter from Lesley Strathie, dated 3 April 2007:
	The Secretary of State has asked me to reply to your question asking how many calls were made to the 08456 088564 Jobcentre Plus number of the Department for Work and Pensions in each of the last six months; what was the average time it took to answer calls; and how many missed calls there were in each month. This is something which falls within the responsibilities delegated to me as Chief Executive of Jobcentre Plus.
	The telephone number 08456 088564 relates to Exeter, which we are currently converting into a Benefits Delivery Centre. When this process is complete the new telephony system will be able to provide the requested information.
	As part of this transition, the 0845 number was introduced from 05 December 2006 and available data shows an increase in calls answered each month from 6,426 calls in December 2006 to 7,385 in January 2007 and 7,770 in February 2007.
	We are working hard to ensure the number of calls answered continues to increase. The average length of each call is approximately 4 minutes.
	I hope this is helpful.

Social Security Benefits: Terrorism

Mark Francois: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many individuals related to suspected terrorists have had their welfare payments  (a) suspended and  (b) terminated in each of the last nine months; and what value of payments was suspended or terminated in each case.

James Plaskitt: The information is not available.

State Retirement Pensions

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what estimate he has made of the number of people who will be entitled to a state pension in 2012.

James Purnell: holding  answer 13 March 2007
	The information is not available in the format requested. For the year 2012-13 the number of people in receipt of state pension is estimated to be 13.3 million.
	 Note:
	Figures are rounded to the nearest 100,000 as they are estimates and therefore subject to variation.
	 Source:
	DWP Forecasting Division.

State Retirement Pensions: Carers

David Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions if he will bring forward amendments to legislation to ensure that carers who claim state pension are also able to claim carer's allowance.

Anne McGuire: Depending on their circumstances, all pensioners may be entitled to extra help from social security benefits on top of their state pension.
	We have already changed the rules so that carers aged 65 or over can claim carer's allowance. State pension and carer's allowance are both income maintenance benefits, and they are not payable in full at the same time because this would involve duplicate provision from public funds. However, where state pension is payable at less than the rate of carer's allowance, an amount of carer's allowance can be paid to make up the difference.
	There are no current plans to introduce any additional allowance in respect of pensioners who are also carers, or to change the policy on overlapping benefits in respect of carer's allowance and state pension.

Voluntary Organisations: Religion

Philip Hammond: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what methodology his Department uses to assess the contribution of faith-based groups to the delivery of welfare and the preparation for work in the UK; and if he will make a statement.

Jim Murphy: The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) has many valuable links with faith-based organisations, as with other parts of the voluntary and community sector. Faith-based organisations work with the Department in policy development, as members of consultative groups; as partners with local communities, particularly where they are disadvantaged in the labour market; and suppliers delivering welfare and employment services under contract to the Department.
	Where faith-based organisations tender for welfare contracts, their proposition is assessed in exactly the same terms as other voluntary or private sector bidders.

Welfare to Work: Reform

David Ruffley: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what recent meetings  (a) Ministers and  (b) officials in his Department have had with (i) the Department of Health, (ii) the Department for Education and Skills, (iii) the Department for Communities and Local Government, (iv) the Department for Trade and Industry, (v) the Home Office and (vi) HM Treasury to discuss the recommendations of the David Freud Review of the Welfare to Work Strategy.

Jim Murphy: Ministers and officials have had, and will continue to have, regular meetings with other Departments on areas of common interest. This has included discussions on the recent review by David Freud.

Welfare to Work: Reform

David Ruffley: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what assessment he has made of the changes to legislation necessary to implement the recommendations of the Freud Review on Welfare to Work; and if he will make a statement.

Jim Murphy: David Freud's independent review Reducing dependency, increasing opportunity: options for the future of welfare to work was published on 5 March 2007. The Government are considering its recommendations, including any changes to legislation that may be necessary and will respond in due course.

Winter Fuel Payments

David Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how much was paid in winter fuel payments to pensioners living outside the UK in 2006-07, broken down by country of recipients' residence.

James Purnell: The final figures for 2006-07 on Pensioners living outside the UK are not available at present.
	The most recent figures available are for 2005-06 and were given in the reply on 28 February 2007,  Official Report, column 1415W.

Young Persons

David Ruffley: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many and what percentage of young people between 16 and 25 years were not in work, training or education in each local authority area in England and Wales in each year since 1997.

Jim Murphy: The information requested has been placed in the Library.

COMMUNITIES AND LOCAL GOVERNMENT

Community Development: Religion

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what investigations take place into applicants for grants from the Faith Communities Capacity Building Fund (FCCBF) on  (a) the extent of their representativeness amongst that religion's followers and  (b) the ability of groups to finance schemes without FCCBF grants; and if she will make a statement.

Phil Woolas: Applications for funding from the Faith Communities Capacity Building Fund (FCCBF) are administered by the Community Development Foundation on behalf of Communities and Local Government and are considered against a range of criteria, based on assessment of supporting information provided.
	The consideration process does not consider the extent of applicants' representativeness among a religion's followers, but where relevant the Community Development Foundation will take care to ensure an organisation does reach the communities they claim to.

Council Housing: Property Transfer

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government if she will publish the results of each local authority housing stock transfer ballot that has taken place in the last two years.

Yvette Cooper: Large scale voluntary transfer ballots results from 1 April 2005 to date are listed in the following table:
	
		
			  Date of tenant ballot  LA/Scheme  Valid votes cast  Percentage in favour 
			 1 April 2005 Broxbourne 2,748 69.7 
			 4 April 2005 North Somerset 4,992 76.5 
			 4 April 2005 Ellesmere Port and Neston 4,210 48.2 
			 8 April 2005 Tower Hamlets Island Homes 605 65.5 
			 8 April 2005 Tower Hamlets Island Gardens IOD 355 76.6 
			 8 April 2005 Tower Hamlets St. Georges 161 66.0 
			 27 April 2005 ManchesterHattersley 1,394 92.5 
			 27 May 2005 Tower HamletsSheltered 208 60.2 
			 9 June 2005 Hyndburn borough council 2,562 79.2 
			 12 July 2005 Islington, Ringcross 141 78.7 
			 19 July 2005 Sedgefield borough council 8,173 41.9 
			 22 July 2005 Tower HamletsParkside 820 50.4 
			 26 July 2005 Teesdale district council 831 88.2 
			 17 August 2005 Macclesfield borough council 4,491 62.2 
			 18 August 2005 Sefton 9,113 45.0 
			 22 September 2005 Tower Hamlets, Mansford 212 64.0 
			 22 September 2005 Tower Hamlets, Lincoln 122 42.6 
			 22 September 2005 Tower Hamlets Chicksand West 112 78.6 
			 22 September 2005 Tower HamletsWapping 363 42.5 
			 22 September 2005 Tower HamletsGlamis 117 69.2 
			 8 November 2005 Rossendale 2,795 82.6 
			 11 November 2005 Aylesbury Vale 6,308 74.4 
			 11 November 2005 Sheffield (Shiregreen) 2,304 85.9 
			 2 December 2005 Manchester W Wythenshawe 5,065 88.7 
			 5 December 2005 Derwentside 5,322 75.7 
			 9 December 2005 Waverley 4,095 47.3 
			 12 December 2005 West Lanes 4,683 43.0 
			 13 December 2005 Sefton 7,261 71.4 
			 19 December 2005 Lambeth Stockwell Park 786 79.1 
			 21 December 2005 Tower Hamlets Longnor Norfolk and Osier 175 45.7 
			 21 December 2005 Tower Hamlets Stepney Green and Clichy 369 37.4 
			 21 December 2005 Tower Hamlets Exmouth 255 78.0 
			 21 December 2005 Tower Hamlets Cranbrook 195 28.2 
			 21 December 2005 Tower Hamlets Granby Hereford 203 36.5 
			 21 December 2005 Tower Hamlets Barleymow 140 44.3 
			 21 December 2005 Tower Hamlets Lansbury 377 61.5 
			 22 February 2006 Mid Devon 3,054 24.4 
			 24 February 2006 Tower Hamlets Holland 173 74.0 
			 10 March 2006 Selby district council 3,021 34.5 
			 10 March 2006 Tower Hamlets Devons 326 53.7 
			 10 March 2006 Tower Hamlets Bow Bridge 159 72.2 
			 15 March 2006 Pendlle borough council 2,917 84.4 
			 27 March 2006 Cannock Chase 4,696 48.1 
			 28 March 2006 North Lincolnshire 7,960 63.0 
			 31 March 2006 Waveney 4,508 32.3 
			 27 April 2006 South Gloucestershire 6,314 64.0 
			 13 July 2006 Sheffield Loxley Wadsley Wisewood 574 76.1 
			 28 July 2006 Tower Hamlets Collingwood and Horwood 451 49.7 
			 8 August 2006 Chorley borough council 2,378 63.1 
			 28 September 2006 Tower Hamlets Boundary 256 12.6 
			 28 September 2006 Tower Hamlets Locksley 304 34.5 
			 28 September 2006 Tower Hamlets Cleveland 127 41.7 
			 28 September 2006 Tower Hamlets Ocean 666 37.3 
			 3 November 2006 Tower Hamlets Dinmont 31 93.5 
			 3 November 2006 Tower Hamlets East India 464 78.8 
			 10 November 2006 Watford borough council 3,497 54.5 
			 13 November 2006 South Kesteven district council 4,791 26.8 
			 29 November 2006 Salisbury district council 4,810 28.7 
			 1 December 2006 Gravesham 4,903 14.0 
			 6 December 2006 North Shropshire 1,872 79.5 
			 7 December 2006 Fenland district council 3,257 53.9 
			 7 December 2006 Islington Packington 319 89.3 
			 13 December 2006 Lewisham Phoenix 2,976 68.7 
			 14 December 2006 Daventry district council 2,638 76.8 
			 15 December 2006 Castle Morpeth borough council 1,997 87.4 
			 15 December 2006 Braintree district council 6,910 62.3 
			 15 December 2006 Rochford district council 1,491 82.8 
			 15 December 2006 Wellingborough borough council 3,500 74.7 
			 18 December 2006 Tauriton Deane borough council 4,802 31.3 
			 18 December 2006 Sheffield Harold Lambert Court 536 77.6 
			 18 December 2006 LB Sutton Roundshaw 364 58.8 
			 18 December 2006 Sheffield Lower Manor 919 87.9 
			 18 December 2006 Sheffield Wybourn 736 73.5 
			 21 December 2006 Tower Hamlets Alfred and Malmesbury 338 49.4 
			 2 February 2007 Sheffield Hyde Park Walk and Terrace 135 74.8 
			 2 February 2007 Sheffield Richmond Park, Birklands and Athelstan 428 71.0 
			 20 February 2007 Brighton and Hove city council 8,744 23.0 
			 5 March 2007 Manchester CC South 4,943 58.9 
			 15 March 2007 Chester Le Street 3,712 60.6 
			 16 March 2007 Wansbeck district council 4,299 84.9 
			 21 March 2007 Harborough 1,800 76.4 
			 26 March 2007 Mole Valley 3,011 85.9

Council Tax

Bob Russell: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what provision is made when setting council tax banding for dwellings located within estates where services are funded directly by residents rather than the local authority; and if she will make a statement.

Phil Woolas: Council tax bandings are based on open market property values in 1991, whichin such caseswill reflect the local circumstances for the estate.

Council Tax: Part-time Students

Sarah Teather: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what guidance she has given to local authorities on the eligibility of part-time students to pay council tax; and if she will make a statement.

Phil Woolas: Council Tax Practice Note No. 2'Liability, Discounts and Exemptions' published in 1993 by then Department of the Environment, provided guidance to local authorities on who qualified as a student for the purposes of a council tax discount disregard or exemption. Further guidance on council tax and students has been provided to local authorities by the Department of the Environment and its successors through council tax implementation and information letters dated 15 October 1992, 4 December 1992, 13 March 1995. 13 November 1996, 27 November 2003 and 5 October 2004.

Council Tax: Fines

Caroline Spelman: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what the level of the fine is that may be deployed against local residents who do not fill in a questionnaire sent by the Valuation Office Agency asking for information on the property attributes of their residence.

Ruth Kelly: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given on 28 March 2007,  Official Report, columns 1596-97W.

Councillors: Payments

Caroline Spelman: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what guidance her Department has issued to local authorities on the probity of payments from councillors' allowances to political parties or political groups being paid via local authority payroll arrangements.

Ruth Kelly: No guidance has been issued by the Department on this subject. Donations to political parties by councillors are a matter for the members concerned.

Departments: Databases

Philip Dunne: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how often her Department's databases are updated with the details of individuals who have moved house.

Yvette Cooper: Communities and Local Government does not hold databases on members of the public moving house.

Departments: Manpower

Andrew Stunell: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many staff in her Department are based in or allocated to regional activities; and what the salary costs of those staff were in the last financial year.

Angela Smith: Communities and Local Government had 950 (Full-Time Equivalent 910) out of a total 2,799 (Full-Time Equivalent 2,681) staff based in the nine Government Offices for the Regions at the end of the last financial year 2005-06. Communities and Local Government's share of these 2,799 staffs costs was broadly pro-rata to its 34 per cent. staff numbers, but that element could be separated from its overall Government Office Administration resource contribution of 138,741,000(1) only at disproportionate cost.
	In addition, a number of staff in the Department's HQ contribute to work aimed at delivering the Government's regional objectives. These include those working on regional resilience, on the regional economic performance public service agreement target, on broader cities and regions policy, in planning and housing strategy and on the development of Communities England. They also include the staff of the Regional Co-ordination Unit, which provides central services to all ten Departments operating through the Government Office network.
	Again, it is not possible to disaggregate the specifically regional elements of these staffs activities, but the Department's Annual Report 2006 sets out in detail the resources allocated to different work streams.

Departments: Paper

Lynne Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what mechanisms are in place to ensure her Department's economical use of paper.

Angela Smith: Paper supplied for use in the Department's laser copiers and facilities management document copying machines is of 100 per cent. post-consumer waste materials.
	The Department's facilities management contractor operates a waste paper recycling scheme whereby collections are made on a regular basis through the organisation.
	The Department's publications, where printed, use paper material of no less than 75 per cent. post-consumer waste. Any printed publications to be destroyed by the Department's storage contractors are sent for pulping and recycling into new products.

Departments: Pay

Michael Gove: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government 
	(1)  what the salary band is of her Department's new Director of Communications;
	(2)  what the name is of her Department's new Director of Communications.

Angela Smith: The salary for the Director of Communications falls in line with other major Departments of State, within pay band 2 of the senior civil service pay range, details of which are published on www.civilservice.gov.uk
	The names of all directors in the Department are published on the Department's website at www.communities.gov.uk

Departments: Public Appointments

Julia Goldsworthy: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government if she will list the former hon. Members who left Parliament in 2005 who have since been appointed to public bodies by her Department, broken down by party; and who was responsible for making each appointment.

Angela Smith: Information about the political activity of appointees is recorded and publicised in accordance with the independent Commissioner for Public Appointments' Code of Practice. This shows that no former hon. Members who left Parliament in 2005 have since been appointed to public bodies sponsored by the Department for Communities and Local Government, which was established in May 2006. Those appointed by the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister are as follows:
	 Name
	Candy Atherton
	 Party
	Labour
	 Appointing Authority
	Minister for Housing and Planning.

Departments: Publicity

Michael Gove: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many press, information and marketing staff are employed by her Department.

Angela Smith: The members of the Department's Communications directorate are listed in The White Book, published by COI, which is available in the Library of the House.

Departments: Publicity

Eric Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what public funding her Department has provided to the Media Planet Group for  (a) advertorials and  (b) supplements in the last 12 months.

Angela Smith: The Department's Communications Directorate has not provided any funding to the Media Planet Group for advertorials or supplements in the last 12 months.

Departments: Publicity

Eric Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many  (a) press,  (b) information,  (c) communications and  (d) marketing staff are employed by her Department.

Angela Smith: The members of the Department's Communications directorate are listed in The White Book, published by COI, which is available in the Library of the House.

Discrimination

Angela Eagle: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what progress has been made with the Discrimination Law Review; and when she expects to publish the Review.

Phil Woolas: As the Secretary of State announced to the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Equalities on 20 March, the proposals emerging from the Discrimination Law Review will be published for public consultation in May.

Emergency Services: Reorganisation

Andrew Dismore: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what consultation her Department has undertaken on the regionalisation of fire control centres with  (a) the police and  (b) the ambulance service.

Angela Smith: The Department consulted widely on proposals to establish a network of Regional Control Centres in 2003, before the project was initiated. The FiReControl project remains in touch with developments within the other emergency services and is a member of the 999/112 Liaison Committee, which includes representatives of the police, ambulance services and the coastguard.

Fire Services

Andrew Dismore: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what advice her Department has issued to fire authorities on co-responding following the decision by the Court of Appeal in March 2007.

Angela Smith: No advice about co-responding has been given to Fire and Rescue Authorities since the Court of Appeal decision. The court case was about whether co-responding formed part of firefighters' contracted duties. Firefighters' terms and conditions are a matter for the employers.
	We fully support co-responding schemes in principle, given their potential to save lives, and would wish to see all Fire and Rescue Authorities working in partnership with their local Ambulance Service NHS Trusts to introduce such schemes locally if that is appropriate. But decisions on whether to introduce or maintain co-responding schemes are for each Fire and Rescue Authority to make, subject to local needs and resources.

Fire Services

Caroline Spelman: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what guidance has been issued to fire  (a) authorities and  (b) services relating to the installation of CCTV in fire engines.

Ruth Kelly: Communities and Local Government have issued guidance to authorities/services relating to the installation of CCTV in fire appliances on two occasions. These are given as follows:
	A section on the provision of CCTV on fire appliances has been included in the recently published Fire and Rescue Service Circular, 14/2007 (issued 15 March 2007) 'Tackling Violence at Work: Good Practice Guidance Document for Fire and Rescue Services' The extract from this document that relates to CCTV provides evidence that CCTV reduces attacks on crews and appliances. The guidance points out that the use of CCTV cameras comes under the scope of the Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act 2000 (RIPA) and the Data Protection Act 1988 (DPA).
	The circular outlines the importance of CCTV in providing continuity of evidence needed to meet the requirements of The Police and Criminal Evidence Act (PACE), to support the principles of prevent and deter and can provide evidence to catch and convict perpetrators. The circular recommended that authorities should consider the use of CCTV in support of staff that may be exposed to violence at work in identified areas of high risk (Ref 7.1.3).
	Reference to the provision of CCTV on fire appliances has also been made in the Pumping Appliance Output Based Specification and Compliance Statement that forms part of the Firebuy Tender framework agreements for pumping appliances, which stated that a CCTV system with 360 vision and a record facility should be offered as part of any tender.

Fire Services

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many and which staff working in fire control centres are on short-term contracts.

Angela Smith: This information requested is not held by the Department.

Fire Services

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government when she expects  (a) each regional fire control centre to open and  (b) staff to migrate to each centre; and what the rental costs are expected to be for each centre in the final year of operation.

Angela Smith: The dates when each FRA control room functions are expected to cut over to the new regional control centre are set out in the following table. The table also gives the annual rent for each RCC building. Prior to cut-over, each RCC building will be equipped with IT infrastructure that will provide the call handling and mobilisation functionality. The RCCs will also be used for staff training and by the regional project management team.
	Staff will become employees of an RCC at or around the time of their authority cut-over.
	
		
			  FRA  Control room function cut-over to RCC  Annual lease per annum for RCC () 
			  East Midlands   
			 Derbyshire October 2009 (1)1,205,000 
			 Leicestershire January 2010 (1) 
			 Nottinghamshire March 2010 (1) 
			 Lincolnshire May 2010 (1) 
			 Northamptonshire July 2010 (1) 
			
			  North East   
			 Durham and Darlington January 2010 (2)1,156,009 
			 Tyne and Wear October 2009 (2) 
			 Cleveland March 2010 (2) 
			 Northumberland March 2010 (2) 
			
			  South West   
			 Somerset October 2009 (3)1,213,500 
			 Devon January 2010 (3) 
			 Dorset March 2010 (3) 
			 Avon May 2010 (3) 
			 Cornwall July 2010 (3) 
			 Wiltshire September 2010 (3) 
			 Gloucestershire January 2011 (3) 
			
			  West Midlands   
			 Staffordshire January 2010 (4)1,358,311 
			 West Midlands March 2010 (4) 
			 Shropshire May 2010 (4) 
			 Hereford and Worcester September 2010 (4) 
			 Warwickshire July 2010 (4) 
			
			  South East   
			 Hampshire May 2010 (5)1,445,000 
			 Royal Berkshire September 2010 (5) 
			 Oxfordshire January 2011 (5) 
			 Kent March 2011 (5) 
			 East Sussex May 2011 (5) 
			 Buckinghamshire July 2011 (5) 
			 Isle of Wight September 2011 (5) 
			 Surrey September 2011 (5) 
			 West Sussex July 2010 (5) 
			
			  North West   
			 Cumbria March 2011 (6)1,197,500 
			 Cheshire March 2011 (6) 
			 Lancashire March 2011 (6) 
			 Greater Manchester September 2010 (6) 
			 Merseyside January 2011 (6) 
			
			  Yorkshire and Humberside   
			 West Yorkshire January 2011 (7)1,198,808 
			 South Yorkshire March 2011 (7) 
			 Humberside May 2011 (7) 
			 North Yorkshire May 2011 (7) 
			
			  East of England   
			 Essex July 2011 (8)1,349,322 
			 Norfolk September 2011 (8) 
			 Cambridge and Peterborough May 2011 (8) 
			 Hertfordshire September 2011 (8) 
			 Bedfordshire and Luton July 2011 (8) 
			 Suffolk July 2011 (8) 
			
			  London   
			 London November 2010 Procurement ongoing. No estimate available at this time

Gaming Clubs: Planning Permission

Michael Gove: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government whether local planning authorities may take the potential for an increase in problem gambling into account when considering the merits of a planning application for a casino or other venue with gambling facilities; and what guidance her Department has published on this issue.

Yvette Cooper: The Department has published no specific guidance on this issue. Planning policy statement 1: Delivering Sustainable Development advises that the impact of development on the social fabric of communities is a consideration which should be taken into account in the development plan processthis would include the potential impact of the development of a casino, or any other type of development, on the community.
	Whether or not a particular consideration is material in the determination of a planning application is a matter for the courtsif it is material, then it is a matter for the decision maker to decide what weight to give it. Any consideration which relates to the use or development of land is capable of being a material consideration.

Ground Rent: East Sussex

Nigel Waterson: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many homeowners in  (a) Eastbourne and  (b) East Sussex pay rentcharge.

Phil Woolas: The precise address and location of a particular property is required to access this information from the Land Registry. It is not possible to provide the quantity of homeowners paying a rentcharge without a description of all the properties relevant to the inquiry. Information on a particular premises can be obtained for a small charge by contacting the Land Registry.

Ground Rent: East Sussex

Nigel Waterson: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many rentcharge payers the Government Office for East Sussex has arranged to receive redemption in each of the last five years.

Phil Woolas: The National Rentcharge Unit based in the Government Office for the North West has the national responsibility for the administration and appraisal of all applications for the redemption and apportionment of a rentcharge using the provisions of the Rentcharges Act 1977.
	Rentcharge redemption data is held at national level within the National Rentcharge Unit database and therefore does not enable us to produce a breakdown of details at regional or sub-regional level. However, a review of manual records shows that no applications have been received from the East Sussex area in the last five years.

Hartlepool Borough Council: Government Assistance

Iain Wright: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how much was awarded to Hartlepool Borough Council in government grants in each year since 1996.

Phil Woolas: The information requested is not easily extracted from the available records and to produce this in the format required would take a considerable amount of time and the cost of compliance would far exceed the appropriate limit.

Heat: Wastes

Dai Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what assessment she has made of the potential for the use of currently unused waste heat from power plants in heat grids to distribute warmth in new sustainable communities.

Yvette Cooper: The Government are committed to responding to the challenges of climate change and the need for new homes in sustainable communities. On 13 December 2006, Communities and Local Government launched a consultation on the draft of a new Planning Policy Statement on climate change. This makes clear that new development should be located to optimise its carbon performance and make the most of existing and planned opportunities for decentralised, renewable and low-carbon energy supplies. In 2006 the Government amended Part L of the Building Regulations to increase energy efficiency standards. Without prescribing solutions, the regulations set standards for energy performance in a way that enables builders to take into account the benefits of renewable and on-site energy generating systems, thus encouraging their take-up.
	Government have not made any specific assessment of the potential for the use of currently unused waste heat from power plants. As promised in the Energy Review Report, we have issued new and improved guidance to power station developers on meeting their combined heat and power obligations. This will encourage the waste heat from plants to be utilised for other purposes, including the distribution of heating in communities.

Home Information Packs

Caroline Spelman: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government if she will place in the Library a full copy of the Central Office for Information Strategic Consultancy report on the impact of home information packs.

Yvette Cooper: The Strategic Consultancy arm of the Central Office of Information have not been commissioned to produce a report on the impact of home information packs. The COI were asked to advise on communications last June.

Home Information Packs

Tony Baldry: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government on what date  (a) energy performance certificates and  (b) home condition reports will become mandatory before a property can be put on the market.

Yvette Cooper: Energy performance certificates (EPCs) will become mandatory prior to marketing a property for sale from 1 June. An interim energy assessment will have to be provided from the same date for new build properties, and a full EPC for new build properties will be needed for these from October 2007.
	Home condition reports (HCRs) are an authorised part of the Home Information Pack and we will continue to promote their roll-out from 1 June. The option of mandatory HCR's remains on the table.

Home Information Packs

Eric Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government which organisations, agencies and Departments will have access to the Home Condition Report database.

Yvette Cooper: I refer the hon. Member to my answer of 22 May 2006,  Official Report, column 1400W.

Home Information Packs

Eric Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government whether  (a) a home information pack and  (b) an energy performance certificate will be required to purchase an equity stake under the Social Homebuy scheme.

Yvette Cooper: Home Information Packs are only required for properties put up for sale on the open market. Sales under the Social HomeBuy scheme to sitting tenants by housing associations and local authorities do not involve marketing and therefore do not need a pack. From October 2008, the provisions of the Energy Performance of Buildings (Certificates and Inspections) (England and Wales) Regulations 2007 come into force for non-marketed residential sales and for rental properties and an EPC will be required at that time.

Housing

David Maclean: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what estimate she has made of the number of surplus homes in the North West region which remain to be demolished before restrictions on the number of homes which may be built by local authorities in Cumbria may be removed.

Yvette Cooper: The existing RSS, which was set out on 31 March 2003, allows for 1,170 dwellings (net of clearance replacement) to be built in Cumbria per year. The total figure for housing in the NW region is 12,790 per year reflecting household growth and the need to support regeneration at that time. The RSS is currently being revised.
	Long-term out-migration trends from the core urban areas have been reversed. To reflect this, to cater for increased household projections, to take account of ambitions for economic growth, and to address affordability issues, the draft RSS is proposing an increase of almost 80 per cent. to 22,844and this is in addition to houses built to replace any demolished.
	The draft new RSS allows for 1,850 dwellings a year in Cumbria. We await their report and will prepare Proposed Changes to the document in the light of this. We anticipate that the Final RSS will be published at the end of this year.

Housing

Lynne Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how much her Department and its predecessor allocated for  (a) major repairs allowance,  (b) housing revenue account subsidy,  (c) regional housing executive allocations for council housing,  (d) regional housing executive allocations for registered social landlord housing,  (e) Approved Development Programme for Housing Corporation,  (f) arm's length management organisations,  (g) private finance initiatives and  (h) stock transfer in (i) England, (ii) the West Midlands and (iii) Birmingham in each year since 1997-98.

Yvette Cooper: The data has been compiled in a series of tables and is lodged in the Library of the House.
	The different funding streams referred to in the tables have different financial bases. They relate to the permission to borrow, grants and allowances, this affects how they can be presented with some past figures being allocations but some are actual spend.
	 (a) Major repairs allowance represents the estimated long-term average amount of capital spending required to maintain a local authority's housing stock in its current condition. The figures are an allowance within the HRA subsidy system.
	 (b) Housing revenue account subsidy refers to the entitlement local authorities receive from Government to support their housing programmes. 2005-06 is the latest year for which audited figures are available. The figures provided in the table are the annual subsidy entitlement.
	 (c) Supported capital expenditure is the level of borrowing for capital purposes that is supported by the Government through Housing Revenue Account Subsidy. This value is based on the Regional Housing Boards' allocations.
	 (d/e) Regional Housing Board recommendations for investment in affordable housing is distributed via the Housing Corporation's Affordable Housing Programme as a grant (formerly the Approved Development Programme). It provides investment to Registered Social Landlords and other developers for the provision of homes for social rent and low cost home ownership.
	 (f) Arm's Length Management Organisation (ALMO) allowance represents revenue support payable to local authorities to finance borrowing for ALMO purposes.
	 (g) Housing PFI subsidy payments support the capital costs of PFI projects. HRA subsidy payments are made via the Housing Revenue Account Subsidy System, and payments for General Fund schemes via the General Fund.
	 (h) Stock transfers can involve two types of expenditure. Payments to the Public Works Loan Board to clear Overhanging Debt held by LAs attributable to transferred housing, and gap funding payments which are grants to some RSLs who receive negative value transferred housing.

Housing Associations: Charities

Nicholas Winterton: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government on what basis housing associations and trusts are granted charitable status.

Yvette Cooper: All bodies which exist for purposes which are recognised as charitable in law and operate for the benefit of the public are required to register with the Charity Commission as charities, unless they are exempt or excepted from the need to do so. Housing associations which wish to become Registered Social Landlords (RSLs), registration is dependent on the housing association meeting the Charity Commission and the Housing Corporation's registration criteria.
	In addition, RSLs that are charitable Industrial and Provident Act Societies (IPS) have to meet the Housing Corporation and Financial Services Authority's (FSA) registration criteria. The Charity Commission cannot register these bodies. They are registered as legal entities by the FSA with charitable objects (standard model clauses agreed by the Charity Commission, FSA, National Housing Federation and the Housing Corporation). IPS housing associations can apply to the Inland Revenue for recognition as a charity. If recognised they are known as exempt charities. Currently 680 housing associations fall into this category.

Housing Corporation

Karen Buck: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what the  (a) projected and  (b) actual expenditure by the Housing Corporation was in each English region in each of the last three years.

Yvette Cooper: The following table shows actual expenditure through the Housing Corporation's Affordable Housing Programme in each English region for 2003-04, 2004-05 and 2005-06. Expenditure is projected for each region and reviewed several times in the year.
	
		
			   Outturn  Estimated 
			   2003-04  2004-05  2005-06  2006-07( 1)  2007-08( 1) 
			 London 723.4 711.6 714.5 891.4 840.6 
			 South East 296.0 297.2 261.1 368.9 365.0 
			 South West 103.6 85.6 90.1 114.1 153.5 
			 East of England 112.9 136.8 127.2 150.1 186.1 
			 East Midlands 53.1 65.1 70.4 72.1 84.3 
			 West Midlands 88.0 102.9 83.4 96.0 89.3 
			 Yorkshire and Humberside 64.5 60.2 58.6 67.2 69.3 
			 North East 41.2 40.1 34.8 39.7 35.6 
			 North West 106.9 109.5 113.3 111.0 99.7 
			 Total 1,589.6 1,609 1,553.4 1,910.5 1,923.4 
			 (1) Regional expenditure limits as at end January 2007  Source: Housing Corporation 
		
	
	The detailed split of expenditure in 2006-07 and 2007-08 reflects the individual programmes in each region. Each region has a two year completions target with some flexibility between the two years to enable: flexible programming.

Housing: Construction

Maria Miller: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many new houses were built in each of the five years, broken down by  (a) Government Office Region and  (b) local authority area; and how many were built on windfall development sites.

Yvette Cooper: A table showing the number of new build dwelling completions in each Government Office Region and local authority in England, in each year from 2000-01 to 2005-06, has been placed in the Library of the House. These are as reported by local authorities and the National House Building Council, and therefore are not comparable with other measures which include conveyancing and demolition.
	Information is not held centrally on numbers built on windfall sites.

Housing: Disabled

Martin Horwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government pursuant to the answer of 21 March 2007,  Official Report, column 988W, on housing: disabled, whether there will be a national mutual exchange scheme which provides its services free of charge to replace those schemes run by Scout Solutions Ltd. which her Department has recently terminated.

Yvette Cooper: The Government have replaced the mutual exchange scheme, which was facilitated by Scout Solutions Projects Ltd., with a number of alternative providers offering a free of charge service. These services can be accessed via the Governments' website www.direct.gov.co.uk/socialhousing. This link also provides information on a wide range of housing related matters.

Housing: Disabled

Iain Wright: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what total amount her Department allocated to Hartlepool Borough Council for disabled facilities grants in each of the last five years; and if she will increase in real terms the amount provided in each of the next three years.

Phil Woolas: The following table details Hartlepool council's allocations from central Government funding for the last five years.
	
		
			  Hartlepooldisabled facilities grant (DFG) allocation 
			
			 2003-04 168,000.00 
			 2004-05 180,000.00 
			 2005-06 192,000.00 
			 2006-07 553,000.00 
			 2007-08 264,000.00 
		
	
	DFG funding for the next three years will be decided as part of the comprehensive spending review (CSR). I cannot pre-empt any funding decisions ahead of the CSR.

Housing: Energy

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how much has been allocated to the Energy Performance Certificates scheme for  (a) start-up costs and  (b) 2007-08.

Yvette Cooper: The Department has allocated some 1.96 million to start-up costs for the Energy Performance Certificates scheme. This money is required to put into place the necessary systems and calculation methodologies to support introduction of energy certificates and to develop guidance, qualifications and quality assurance frameworks for energy assessors. The allocations for 2007-08 are currently under consideration.

Housing: Finance

Austin Mitchell: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government which local authorities  (a) had a surplus on their housing revenue accounts and  (b) received a subsidy for that account in each of the last 10 years; and how much that (i) surplus and (ii) subsidy was in each case.

Yvette Cooper: Data for the years 1990-93 inclusive can be obtained only at disproportionate cost. Details of housing revenue account subsidy entitlements for individual authorities separated by main income and expenditure items for the years 1994-95 to 2004-05 inclusive are included in a table that has been deposited in the Library of the House.

Housing: Greater London

Stephen Hammond: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many homes for sale on the open market have been built in  (a) the London borough of Merton,  (b) South West London and  (c) London in each of the last five years.

Yvette Cooper: Communities and Local Government do not collect data on homes for sale on the open market. However, we do collect data on the number of private dwellings that are built and these are presented in the following table.
	Communities and Local Government do not define an area for South West London so we have provided figures on the number of new properties for each London borough for 2002 to 2006 as follows:
	
		
			  Number of private enterprise units completed 
			   2002  2003  2004  2005  2006( 1) 
			 Merton 330 
			 Barking and Dagenham 214  294 217 198 
			 Barnet 496 813 892 509 300 
			 Bexley 309 474 345 70 133 
			 Brent 244 
			 Bromley  
			 Camden  108 305 154  
			 City of London 128 291 56 49 2 
			 Croydon 358 291 245 272 513 
			 Ealing 115 425 405  447 
			 Enfield 219 371 208 307 372 
			 Greenwich 1,336 723 1,188 871 834 
			 Hackney  
			 Hammersmith and Fulham 45  110 112 108 
			 Haringey63  
			 Harrow 367 262 235 284  
			 Havering  285 374 457  
			 Hillingdon   260 233 189 
			 Hounslow  712 433 631 433 
			 Islington 208 141 164 309 427 
			 Kensington and Chelsea 246 484 117 41 107 
			 Kingston upon Thames 194 410 389 187 111 
			 Lambeth   519 164  
			 Lewisham 219 542 179 135  
			 Newham671  
			 Redbridge 548 345 690 804 438 
			 Richmond upon Thames 253 331 347 317 224 
			 Southwark   1,690 1,132  
			 Sutton 191  302 376 260 
			 Tower Hamlets 1,045 1,660 2,648 715  
			 Waltham Forest 38 55 89 175 157 
			 Wandsworth  608 749 293 433 
			 Westminster 620 854
			 London 11,302 14,962 17,694 13,048 13,289 
			 (1) Data for 2006 is provisional.  Source: Local Authority P2 housebuilding return and NHBC figures.

Housing: Hartlepool

Iain Wright: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many  (a) affordable and  (b) social houses were built in Hartlepool constituency in each of the last five years.

Yvette Cooper: The numbers of affordable and social rent homes provided in Hartlepool in each of the last five years are tabled as follows. Some affordable homes are provided through the acquisition and refurbishment of dwellings purchased on the open market, these figures have been included.
	Affordable housing has been classified to include homes for social and intermediate rent as well as those provided thorough low cost homeownership schemes. Local authorities can require contributions towards affordable housing as part of Section 106 agreements.
	
		
			  Affordable homes provided: Hartlepool 
			   All affordable homes  O f which :  social rent 
			 2001-02 7 7 
			 2002-03 0 0 
			 2003-04 25 14 
			 2004-05 14 14 
			 2005-06 0 0 
			  Source:  Housing Corporation

Housing: Inspections

Tony Baldry: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many qualified  (a) home inspectors and  (b) domestic energy assessors there are on the (i) Buildings Research Establishment, (ii) Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors and (iii) SAVA Government-accredited schemes.

Yvette Cooper: As at 23 March there were 1,085 home inspector candidates who had successfully passed their exam. There were over 3,000 DEA candidates who were in or about to begin training, all of whom could qualify by June.
	All home inspector certification schemes are operated by private companies, so enquiries on their current membership would be more appropriately addressed to individual schemes.
	The contact details for the three schemes are:
	(i) Building Research Establishment
	Telephone: 01923 664947
	Email: enquiries@breinspector.co.uk
	(ii) Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors
	Telephone: 0870 333 1600
	Email: safeas@rics.org
	(iii) Surveyors and Valuers Association
	Telephone: 0870 837 6500
	Email: info@sava-cs.org.uk
	Accreditation schemes for domestic energy assessors are in the process of being approved by the Secretary of State, and will receive formal approval shortly. As no approval has yet been made details cannot be provided.

Housing: Inspections

Tony Baldry: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what funding her Department provides to government-accredited schemes to train  (a) home inspectors and  (b) domestic energy assessors.

Yvette Cooper: No public funding has been provided to the commercial companies currently offering training courses to prospective home inspectors and domestic energy assessors.
	The trainees themselves are responsible for payment of their own fees, but have access to the range of Government-backed schemes such as career development loans which are available to those wishing to upgrade their skills or undertake a new career.

Housing: Low Incomes

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what steps the Government are taking to provide  (a) low cost housing for sale and  (b) affordable rented housing over the next three years.

Yvette Cooper: holding answer 29 March 2007
	We are on course to meet the target of delivering 30,000 social rented homes by 2008, a 50 per cent. increase on 2004-05.
	We are expanding our programme of low cost home ownership, building on innovative private financing to help more people into partial ownership on a shared equity basis. We expect 120,000 households to access home ownership through publicly funded shared equity schemes in the five years to 2010.
	Investment for 2008-09 to 2010-11 and plans for increasing social housing supply will be subject to the outcome of Comprehensive Spending Review 2007.

Housing: Racial Discrimination

Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what sanctions are applicable to housing bodies which fail to take account of the needs of the Irish community under the requirements of race equality schemes.

Yvette Cooper: If a body with housing functions is specified in Schedule 1A of the Race Relations Act 1976 (RRA) when carrying out its functions it will be subject to the general duty in section 71(1) RRA. This is a duty to have due regard to the need to eliminate unlawful racial discrimination and to promote equality of opportunity and good relations between persons of different racial groups. Breaching this duty could make the body subject to a judicial review challenge by the Commission for Racial Equality or any interested party.
	Additionally, the body may also be subject to the specific duty in section 71(2) RRA, the purpose of which is to ensure the body's better performance of the general duty. If subject to the specific duty, the body will be under a duty to publish a race equality scheme which must state, among other things, the functions and policies or proposed policies it has assessed to be relevant to the performance of its general duty, the arrangements for assessing and consulting on the likely impact of its proposed policies on the promotion of race equality and arrangements for monitoring its policies for any adverse impact on the promotion of race equality. In assessing whether the body has complied with its specific duty it would be necessary to consider that body's individual race equality scheme. Failure to comply with the specific duty may leave the body open to a compliance notice being served by the CRE under s7ID RRA.
	Depending on the facts of the case, a failure to comply with its s71 duties may also leave the body open to a claim of unlawful race discrimination.

Housing: West Midlands

Tom Watson: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many  (a) social rented homes and  (b) low cost home ownership properties have been built or acquired in each local authority in the West Midlands in each year since 1997; and how many included a contribution from section 106 planning gain.

Yvette Cooper: The numbers of social rent and low cost home ownership homes built or acquired in each local authority in the West Midlands, in each year since 1991-92, have been placed in the Library of the House. The numbers of homes provided with a contribution from a section 106 agreement are also shown.

Housing: West Midlands

Tom Watson: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many homes for sale on the open market have been built in  (a) Sandwell Metropolitan Borough Council and  (b) the West Midlands in each year since 1997.

Yvette Cooper: Communities and Local Government do not collect data on homes for sale on the open market. However we do collect data on the number of private dwellings that are built and these are presented in the following table.
	
		
			  Number of private enterprise units completed 
			   (a) Sandwell metropolitan borough council  (b) West Midlands region( 1) 
			 2002  12,841 
			 2003  12,584 
			 2004  12,669 
			 2005 984 14,870 
			 2006(2) 749 13,928 
			 (1) House building data for the West Midlands regional total includes imputation for missing local authority returns. (2) Data for 2006 are provisional.  Source: Local authority P2 house building return and NHBC figures

IPPR

Oliver Heald: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what funding the Disability Rights Commission has provided to  (a) the IPPR and  (b) IPPR Trading Ltd. in each year since May 1997; and for what purpose.

Anne McGuire: I have been asked to reply.
	As the Disability Rights Commission's financial transactions are an operational matter, I have asked the Commission's chief executive to write to you in answer to your question, and I understand that he has done so.

Land Use: Planning

Tim Yeo: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government in what form the forthcoming proposals for reform of land use planning will be published; on what date they will be published; and if she will make a statement.

Yvette Cooper: Later this spring, the Government will set out in a White Paper its response to Kate Barker's recommendations for improving the speed, responsiveness and efficiency in land use planning. It will also make proposals for taking forward Kate Barker and Rod Eddington's recommendations for reform of major infrastructure planning. A statement will be made at the time of publication.

Local Authority Land Sales

Harry Cohen: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what guidelines there are on the process of land sale decisions by local authorities; what assessment she has made of the appropriateness of such decisions being taken without public knowledge or discussion; and if she will make a statement.

Yvette Cooper: No general guidelines have been issued to local authorities in relation to the sale of local authority land. However, local authorities have general and discretionary powers under s.123 of the Local Government Act 1972 to dispose of land in any manner they wish. The Secretary of State's only statutory function is to give or refuse consent to a proposed disposal where the authority will receive less than the best consideration that can reasonably be obtained which is usually the open market value of the site.
	The General Disposal Consent issued in August 2003 in ODPM Circular 06/2003 gave local authorities a very wide discretion in relation to their land disposals and enables them to make disposals which will contribute to the promotion or improvement of the economic, social or environmental well-being of an area at less than best consideration provided the undervalue does not exceed 2 million. The circular provides advice on making an application for a disposal that falls outside the terms of the general consent and it also makes it clear that, when disposing of land an undervalue, authorities should remain aware of the need to fulfil their fiduciary duty in a way that is accountable to local people.
	If the land is held planning purposes it can be disposed of by means of a specific consent under s.233 of the Town and Country Planning Act 1990. Disposal consents have also been issued in relation to housing land under the Housing Act 1985.

Local Government Executive

Caroline Spelman: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many local authorities in England have elected mayors, broken down by mayoral model; on what date a mayor was first elected in each such local authority; and when the date is of the next election in each case.

Ruth Kelly: 12 local authorities in England have elected mayors. Their details, including mayoral elections, are as follows:
	
		
			  Authority  Model  Inaugural election  Second election  Next election 
			 Bedford Borough Council Mayor and Cabinet October 2002  May 2007 
			 Doncaster Metropolitan Borough Council Mayor and Cabinet May 2002 May 2005 May 2009 
			 Hartlepool Borough Council Mayor and Cabinet May 2002 May 2005 May 2009 
			 London Borough of Hackney Mayor and Cabinet October 2002 May 2006 May 2010 
			 London Borough of Lewisham Mayor and Cabinet May 2002 May 2006 May 2010 
			 London Borough of Newham Mayor and Cabinet May 2002 May 2006 May 2010 
			 Mansfield District Council Mayor and Cabinet October 2002  May 2007 
			 Middlesbrough Council Mayor and Cabinet May 2002  May 2007 
			 North Tyneside Council(1) Mayor and Cabinet May 2002 May 2005 May 2009 
			 Stoke-on-Trent City Council Mayor and Council Manager October 2002 May 2005 May 2009 
			 Torbay Council Mayor and Cabinet October 2005  May 2011 
			 Watford Borough Council Mayor and Cabinet October 2002 May 2006 May 2010 
			 (1) In addition, a by-election for the mayor took place on 12 June 2003.

Local Government Finance: Housing

Austin Mitchell: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what the total housing debt was for each local authority in each year since 1996; how much principal debt was paid off in each year; how the repayments were financed; what the cost was to each local authority of servicing the debt; and how many homes were owned by each authority.

Yvette Cooper: I have arranged for a table showing the total housing debt for each local authority for each year since 1996 to be placed in the Library of the House. From 2001-02 onwards authorities with no notional housing debt (the assumed housing debt for the purposes of HRA subsidy) were not required to submit this data to Communities and Local Government.
	The Department does not collect data on the actual amount of principal housing debt repaid each year. I have arranged for a table showing the amount each authority was obliged to set aside from the disposal of Housing Revenue Account (HRA) assets since 1996 to be placed in the Library of the House. Set-aside does not equate to debt actually redeemed, as local authorities may make a treasury management decision to keep the housing debt on their books rather than repay it, investing the set-aside elsewhere.
	The Department does not keep data on how local authorities finance their housing debt repayments, nor does it have data on what the cost was to each local authority of servicing the housing debt. We only have data of the consolidated rate of interest (CRI) which is the average rate of interest a local authority pays across all its borrowing. The CRI for each year is in the table.
	I have arranged for a table showing dwellings owned by each local authority for each year since 1996 to be placed in the Library of the House.

Local Government Finance: Housing

Austin Mitchell: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government 
	(1)  what the  (a) elements and  (b) totals of housing revenue subsidy were in each year since 1990; and what estimate she has made of each for the next 20 years;
	(2)  what housing subsidy has been paid to local authorities with council housing in each year since 1990.

Yvette Cooper: Data for the years 1990-93 inclusive can be obtained only at disproportionate cost. Details of housing revenue account subsidy entitlements for individual authorities separated by main income and expenditure items for the years 1994-95 to 2004-05 inclusive are included in a table that has been deposited in the Library of the House.
	No estimates have been made covering the next 20 years.

Lyons Inquiry

David Curry: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what the total cost was to the public purse of the Lyons Report on local government finance.

Phil Woolas: The Lyons Inquiry is estimated to cost about 1.76 million. In addition, about 464,637 of funding has been provided by the Government for research commissioned by the Inquiry.

Lyons Inquiry

Caroline Spelman: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government whether Sir Michael Lyons' report will be  (a) vetted and  (b) amended by Government Ministers before its publication.

Ruth Kelly: The Lyons Inquiry into Local Government was an independent report, and Sir Michael Lyons was entirely responsible for its contents.

Mortgages: Climate Change

Michael Gove: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many lenders offer a green mortgage in preparation for the introduction of energy performance estimates; and if she will make a statement.

Yvette Cooper: We are aware of four lending bodies who currently offer 'green mortgage' products, others have said they are interested in developing products. As the Chancellor stated in the Budget, the Government expect the introduction of Energy Performance Certificates and other initiatives to provide the potential for the market for 'green' financial products to develop further.

Motorway Service Areas

Caroline Spelman: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government if she will postpone relevant determination of a start date for public inquiry into motorway services until such time as all relevant parties are in receipt of agreements and reports currently being negotiated between the Highways Agency, Birmingham International airport, Swayfields and Shirley Estates.

Ruth Kelly: The inquiry arranged for 12 June into two proposed motorway service areas (MSAs) has been postponed so that negotiations between the Highways Agency (HA) and Swayfields and Shirley Estates (the two developers) can proceed. Detailed highway proposals can then be considered by the Rule 6 parties prior to the inquiry. The new start date for the inquiry will be discussed at a pre-inquiry meeting to be held on 12 June. It is not considered the non-publication of a finalised Birmingham International airport (BIA) Master Plan or the Birmingham International airport surface access report will prevent the inquiry proceeding.

Parish Councils

Caroline Spelman: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many town and parish councils in England have achieved quality parish council status.

Ruth Kelly: There are currently 405 town and parish councils in England which have achieved quality parish council status.

Public Requests Ordering Disposal

Caroline Spelman: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government if she will take steps to make the public aware of the right to make Public Requests Ordering Disposal under Section 98 of the Local Government Planning and Land Act 1980.

Yvette Cooper: Public Requests Ordering Disposal (PROD) were introduced in the early 1980's as a device to encourage derelict land and buildings to be sold for development although their use has been limited due to the nature of the process involved. The Government have already given local authorities greater responsibility for encouraging re-use of derelict land and buildings through the planning system and through their empty homes powers.
	The Quirk Review is considering the scope for facilitating community management and ownership of assets and we will await its recommendations regarding whether there is a need to take steps to promote public awareness of their right to make PRODs as a part of this review.

Roads: Repairs and Maintenance

Iain Wright: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how much her Department allocated to Hartlepool Borough Council for highways maintenance and repair in each of the last five years; and if she will increase in real terms the amount provided in the next three years.

Phil Woolas: Highway maintenance is one of the services supported by formula grant. Formula grant, which comprises revenue support grant, redistributed business rates and principal formula police grant, where appropriate, is an unhypothecated block grant i.e. authorities are free to spend the money on any service. For this reason, and due to the method of calculating formula grant, particularly floor damping, it is not possible to say how much grant an authority received for any particular service.
	The comprehensive spending review 2007 will set the framework for support to local authorities for 2008-09 to 2010-11 to enable them to deliver effective services. We have been working closely with local government in the context of the spending review to ensure that we identify the pressures that councils face, along with the scope for efficiencies.

Social Rented Housing

Andrew Stunell: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how much land is owned by  (a) the Housing Corporation and  (b) English Partnerships; and what estimate she has made of its value.

Yvette Cooper: The Housing Corporation predominantly pursues its objectives through the provision of grant funding and does not currently own any land.
	English Partnerships, the national regeneration agency, owns over 8,000 hectares of land being held for phased redevelopment and disposal, with an estimated market value of 1,838 million as at March 2006.

Unitary Councils: Bedfordshire

Nadine Dorries: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what process she expects South Bedfordshire district council and Mid Bedfordshire district council to follow during the consultation exercise on the unitary proposals for Bedfordshire; and if she will make a statement.

Phil Woolas: I refer the hon. Member to my reply to my hon. Friend the Member for Bedford (Patrick Hall) and the hon. Member for South-West Bedfordshire (Andrew Selous) of 29 March 2007,  Official Report, column 1733W. South Bedfordshire district council and Mid Bedfordshire district council may choose to respond to the consultation by proposing support for the Bedfordshire county council unitary proposal or by proposing support for the Bedford borough proposal, and in doing so, may suggest that the remainder of the county also be made unitary.

Written Questions

Caroline Spelman: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government when she will answer the questions tabled by the hon. Member for Meriden on  (a) 9 January 2007 (114760) and (b) 22 November 2006 (103902) on Home Information Packs.

Yvette Cooper: I replied to the hon. Member's question (103902) on 11 April 2007. I will answer question (114760) shortly, I apologise for the delay.

Yalberton Valley

Anthony Steen: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government if she will remove from her Department's website reference to Paignton West (Yalberton Valley) as the preferred site in relation to the New Growth Points application in Torbay; and if she will make a statement.

Yvette Cooper: holding answer 20 March  2007
	There is no reference to Paignton West (Yalberton Valley), as a preferred site in relation to the New Growth Point or otherwise, on the Torbay New Growth Point page of the Department's website. The page does refer to:
	(a) the provision of infrastructure to open up employment areas at Yalberton road, Paignton, but I think this refers to employment development already proposed in the adopted local plan; and,
	(b) a new sustainable community, for the public to debate as part of the Local Development Framework. Torbay council identified a location at the Yalberton Valley as one of several options for this new community, but my information is that no decision has been taken. As the website says, decisions on whether to develop a new community, and where, are matters for the Local Development Framework, which will be the subject of community involvement and public examination by an independent planning inspector.

EDUCATION AND SKILLS

Adoption: China

Anne McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what the average length of time for the process for an adult in the UK to adopt a child from China was in each of the last five years; what the current time scale is; and if he will make a statement.

Parmjit Dhanda: There is no centrally held information on the average length of time it takes an adult in the UK to adopt a child from China from the initial approach of the prospective adopters to their adoption agency until an adoption order is made.
	There are a number of stages to the intercountry adoption process. These comprise: assessment by a UK adoption agency; the issuing of a Certificate of Eligibility by the Department for Education and Skills; notarisation; legalisation (at the Foreign and Commonwealth Office and the Chinese embassy in London); and processing of the application by relevant authorities in China.

After-school Clubs: East Sussex

Nigel Waterson: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many places were available in after-school clubs for  (a) primary and  (b) secondary school age children in (i) Eastbourne and (ii) East Sussex in each year since 1997.

Beverley Hughes: The information requested about child care places broken down by primary and secondary school age children is not collected. The available information on the number of registered child care places in out-of-school clubs for children under eight in East Sussex local authority area is shown in the following tables.
	The latest figures on registered child care providers and places are available on the following website
	www.ofsted.gov.uk/.
	
		
			  Table 1 :  Number( 1,2)  of registered child care  places for children under eight  years of age  East Sussex  Position at 31 March each year  1997 to 2002 
			   Number of places 
			 1997 290 
			 1998 230 
			 1999 480 
			 2000 430 
			 2001 480 
			 2002 (3) 
			 (1) Figures have been rounded to the nearest 10 or 100 places. (2) Data Source: Children's Day Care Facilities Survey. (3 )Not available. 
		
	
	
		
			  Table 2: Number( 1,2)  of registered child care p laces in out of school day care  for children under eight years of age  East Sussex  Position at 31 March each year  2003 to 2006 
			   Number of places 
			 2003 2,000 
			 2004 2,600 
			 2005 2,700 
			 2006 2,900 
			 (1) Figures have been rounded to the nearest 10 or 100 places. (2) Data Source: Ofsted

Apprenticeships

John Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what percentage of apprenticeship training providers funded by the Learning and Skills Council were employers in each year since 1997.

Phil Hope: Data on Apprenticeships and Advanced Apprenticeships are collected on the Learning and Skills Council's (LSC) Individualised Learner Record (ILR). The table shows the percentage of apprenticeship training providers funded by the LSC that were private organisations in their own right or other private organisations. Included within these proportions are employers whose main business activity is the provision of education and training. We are unable to identify such employers separately.
	
		
			   Percentage of providers that were employers 
			 2002/03 70 
			 2003/04 67 
			 2004/05 67 
			 2005/06 66

Children: Day Care

David Blunkett: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many free part-time nursery education places there were for  (a) three-year-olds and  (b) four-year-olds in schools in England in each year from 1997 to 2007; and what proportion of the age group each figure represents.

Beverley Hughes: The available information is shown in the table. Information relating to 2007 will be available in May.
	
		
			  Number of free nursery education places( 1)  taken up by three and four-year-olds  England  Position in January each year 
			   3-year-olds  4-year-olds 
			 Total 3-year-oldsTotal 4-year-olds 
			   Maintained nursery and primary schools( 2)  Other maintained and private, voluntary and independent providers  Number  Percentage  Maintained nursery and primary schools( 3)  Other maintained and private, voluntary and independent providers  Number  Percentage 
			 1997 214,200 (4) 214,200 33.8 (4) (4) (5)576,200 88.9 
			 1998 222,000 (4) 222,000 35.4 (4) (4) (5)591, 500 93.2 
			 1999 225,700 (4) 225,700 37.0 (4) (4) (5)593,800 94.7 
			 2000 229,900 (6)40,300 270,200 44.1 (4) (4) (5)598,500 97.7 
			 2001 226,600 (6)108,800 335,400 55.4 (4) (4) (5)589,300 96.2 
			 2002 223,500 (6)184,700 408,300 68.8 477,700 (5)106,820 584,500 97.3 
			 2003 218,700 (6)226,100 444,800 76.9 472,200 (7)109,600 581,800 98.1 
			 2004 215,300 (8)246,200 461 ,600 82.0 461,100 (9)110,000 571,200 98.5 
			 2005 214,300 (8)259,800 474,000 85.1 449,500 (9)104,400 553,900 98.3 
			 2006 215,500 (8)268,000 483,500 85.9 442,200 (9)104,000 546,200 98.0 
			 (1) Figures are rounded to the nearest 100 if they exceed 1,000 and to the nearest 10 otherwise. (2 )Headcount of children aged three at 31 December in the previous calendar year from the Annual Schools' Census. (3 )Headcount of children aged four at 31 December in the previous calendar year from the Annual Schools' Census. (4 )Not available. (5 )Part-time equivalent number of children aged four at 31 December in the previous calendar year from the Nursery Education Grant data collection exercise. (6 )Part-time equivalent number of children aged three at 31 December in the previous calendar year from the Nursery Education Grant data collection exercise. (7 )Part-time equivalent number of children aged four at 31 December in the previous calendar year from the Early Years Census supplementary data collection exercise and the Annual Schools' Census. (8 )Part-time equivalent number of children aged three at 31 December in the previous calendar year from the Early Years Census and the Annual Schools' Census. (9 )Part-time equivalent number of children aged four at 31 December in the previous calendar year from the Early Years Census and the Annual Schools' Census. 
		
	
	The latest figures on early education places for three and four-year-olds in England were published in Statistical First Release 32/2006 Provision for children under five years of age in EnglandJanuary 2006 (final) in August, which is available on the Department's website
	www.dfes.gov.uk/rsgateway/

Children: Day Care

David Blunkett: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many child care places were available in England in  (a) 1997 and  (b) 2006.

Beverley Hughes: As at 31 March 1997 there were 637,700 registered child care places(1) in England. The equivalent figure for 2006 is 1,254,400.
	The latest figures on registered child care providers and places are available on the following website, www.ofsted.gov.uk/
	(1) Local authorities were responsible for the registration and inspection of children's day care facilities until these responsibilities were transferred to Ofsted in September 2001.
	With the introduction of the National Day Care Standards and the transfer of responsibilities for registration and inspection of child care providers from local authority social service departments to Ofsted in September 2001, child care places were classified according to the type of day care provided. Previously, child care places were classified according to the type of provider. The figures for 1997 include child minders, day nurseries and out of school clubs. The figures for 2006 include child minders, full day care and out of school care.

City Academies

Sarah Teather: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what evidence and analysis informed the decision to extend the target for academies from 200 to 400 by 2010.

Jim Knight: holding answer 19 March 2007
	The decision was informed by the large body of evidence which shows that academies are an effective way of improving performance in underperforming schools and that despite the overall rise in education standards over the last decade there will remain a significant number of schools beyond the initial target of 200 academies which are underperforming and would benefit by becoming an academy.
	The percentage of pupils getting five good GCSEs including English and Maths in academies improved last year alone by 6.2 percentage pointssix times better than the national improvement rate of one percentage pointand all 21 academies which had students who took GCSEs in 2006 are above the floor targets; 18 of the 24 predecessor schools they replaced were below.
	Academies are making dramatic improvements at key stage threeabove the national averagewith rises last year of 8.1 percentage points in English, 9 percentage points in Maths and 10.5 percentage points in Science compared to previous validated results.
	Sixteen academies have had full Ofsted inspections. Key to the future success of the academies is their leadership and management. On this indicator, Ofsted has classed two academies as outstanding, 10 as good, three as satisfactory and one as inadequate.
	Academies are popular with parents. There were three applications for each academy place in September 2006. Almost all academies were oversubscribed on opening and each year afterwards.
	There is growing support from local authorities. For example, Manchester city council has ambitious plans for eight academies across the citystrategically targeting underperforming schools in disadvantaged communities and forming part of wider programmes of regeneration.
	Last year's independent PricewaterhouseCoopers evaluation of academies found strong pupil and teacher support for academies. It included a survey reporting that 81 per cent. of pupils thought their school work had improved since joining the academy and that total attendance in academies had risen and at a faster rate than the national average.
	All of the above were factors in the decision to expand the programme to 400. The case has since been reinforced by the positive findings of the NAO report on academies published last month, which found that academies are
	on track to deliver good value for money.
	The NAO concluded that academies are improving performance compared with predecessor schools, and that the improvement is faster than in comparable schools.

City Academies: Admissions

David Chaytor: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills with which provisions of the school admissions code academies are not required to comply; and if he will make a statement.

Jim Knight: holding answer 7 February 2007
	Academies are required to comply with the admissions code in full; there are no provisions from which they are exempt.

City Academies: Qualifications

Sarah Teather: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what plans he has  (a) to pilot and  (b) to introduce specialised 14-19 diplomas in academies.

Jim Knight: Yesterday we announced the first 145 consortia (groups of schools, colleges and training providers) that have been given approval to offer one or more of the first five 14-19 diplomas from September 2008. The five 14-19 diplomas to be offered from September are: Creative and Media; Society, Health and Development; IT; Construction and the Built Environment; and, Engineering. There are 20 academies involved in successful consortiums, and, as a group, they will contribute to provision across all five diplomas. Each of the diplomas will be piloted for three academic years following its introduction.

Curriculum

Nick Gibb: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what the evidential basis was for the statement in the Qualifications and Curriculum Authority's 2006 Annual Review that there is a broad consensus on the purposes, values and aims for the curriculum.

Jim Knight: The statement in the Qualifications and Curriculum Authority's Annual Review was based on an extensive informal consultation on the purposes, values and aims for the curriculum with a wide variety of groups. This included some 45,000 teachers and headteachers; 1,000 professionals from local authorities; 2,000 pupils and around 3,000 other stakeholders.

Education: Finance

Nick Gibb: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills whether research has been funded by  (a) his Department and  (b) the Qualifications and Curriculum Authority on the empirical validity of the zone of proximal development concept referred to by the Chief Executive of the Qualifications and Curriculum Authority in his speech of 21 March.

Jim Knight: Neither the Department nor the Qualifications and Curriculum Authority (QCA) has funded any specific research into the concept of zone of proximal development.

Education: Standards

Graham Brady: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what the average  (a) contextualised value-added scores and  (b) value-added scores were in each (i) selective, (ii) partially selective and (iii) comprehensive local education authority according to the most recent available figures.

Jim Knight: holding  answer 22 March 2006
	 : Information on the key stage 2-4 contextualised value- added measures for 2005/06 by local authority and their admissions policy is shown in the following table.
	For the most recent year (2005/06) it is only possible to provide contextualised value-added figures as value- added figures were not calculated.
	
		
			  Contextualised value added measures for pupils at the end of key stage 4( 1)  in 2005/06( 2)  by genderfor each local authority( 3)  and Government office region 
			  Government office region  KS2-KS4 CVA measure  
			  Local authority  Boys  Girls  Total  Local authority admissions policy( 5) 
			  North East 1,003.0 1,000.0 1,001.5  
			 Hartlepool 1,003.2 1,001.2 1,002.2 Comprehensive 
			 Middlesbrough 995.1 997.0 996.0 Comprehensive 
			 Redcar and Cleveland 995.3 991.8 993.6 Comprehensive 
			 Stockton on Tees 998.1 996.2 997.2 Comprehensive 
			 Darlington 987.4 978.8 982.9 Comprehensive 
			 Durham 1,001.4 1,001.4 1,001.4 Comprehensive 
			 Northumberland 1,010.3 1,002.5 1,006.4 Comprehensive 
			 Gateshead 1,012.9 1,016.3 1,014.7 Comprehensive 
			 Newcastle upon Tyne 1,007.0 1,003.6 1,005.4 Comprehensive 
			 North Tyneside 1,004.0 1,001.2 1,002.7 Comprehensive 
			 South Tyneside 1,007.3 997.4 1,002.4 Comprehensive 
			 Sunderland 1,002.1 998.3 1,000.2 Comprehensive 
			  
			  North West 999.5 999.6 999.5  
			 Halton 1,006.0 999.4 1,002.9 Comprehensive 
			 Warrington 1,002.1 999.2 1,000.6 Comprehensive 
			 Cheshire 999.1 995.8 997.5 Comprehensive 
			 Cumbria 991.7 995.4 993.5 Partially Selective 
			 Bolton 990.4 990.0 990.2 Comprehensive 
			 Bury 999.3 995.9 997.7 Comprehensive 
			 Manchester 1,007.3 1,003.8 1,005.6 Comprehensive 
			 Oldham 987.1 994.0 990.4 Comprehensive 
			 Rochdale 1,002.9 1,000.0 1,001.5 Comprehensive 
			 Salford 992.5 996.8 994.6 Comprehensive 
			 Stockport 995.7 996.1 995.9 Comprehensive 
			 Tameside 989.4 994.9 992.2 Comprehensive 
			 Trafford 1,008.3 1,010.8 1,009.6 Selective 
			 Wigan 1,000.8 1,002.2 1,001.5 Comprehensive 
			 Blackburn with Darwen 1,000.7 1,004.3 1,002.4 Comprehensive 
			 Blackpool 998.0 993.5 995.7 Comprehensive 
			 Lancashire 999.4 998.0 998.7 Partially Selective 
			 Knowsley 1,000.3 1,003.4 1,001.8 Comprehensive 
			 Liverpool 1,009.7 1,012.6 1,011.2 Partially Selective 
			 St. Helens 994.9 992.1 993.5 Comprehensive 
			 Sefton 1,004.2 1,001.0 1,002.6 Comprehensive 
			 Wirral 1,006.5 1,009.0 1,007.8 Partially Selective 
			  
			  Yorkshire and Humber 994.7 996.6 995.6  
			 East Riding of Yorkshire 1,009.8 1,002.9 1,006.4 Comprehensive 
			 Kingston-upon-Hull 982.6 996.1 989.4 Comprehensive 
			 North East Lincolnshire 993.4 987.4 990.4 Comprehensive 
			 North Lincolnshire 996.8 996.3 996.5 Comprehensive 
			 York 1,004.7 999.8 1,002.3 Comprehensive 
			 North Yorkshire 1,004.5 999.6 1,002.1 Partially Selective 
			 Barnsley 1,002.2 1,008.9 1,005.6 Comprehensive 
			 Doncaster 992.1 997.6 994.8 Comprehensive 
			 Rotherham 991.9 999.9 995.8 Comprehensive 
			 Sheffield 993.3 995.7 994.4 Comprehensive 
			 Bradford 995.2 1,001.6 998.3 Comprehensive 
			 Calderdale 990.1 992.6 991.3 Partially Selective 
			 Kirklees 988.9 989.0 988.9 Partially Selective 
			 Leeds 984.1 986.4 985.2 Comprehensive 
			 Wakefield 999.3 1,003.1 1,001.2 Comprehensive 
			  
			  East Midlands 996.3 997.0 996.6  
			 Derby 1,007.0 1,001.4 1,004.2 Comprehensive 
			 Derbyshire 1,001.1 1,001.9 1,001.5 Comprehensive 
			 Leicester City 989.9 992.2 991.0 Comprehensive 
			 Rutland 1,002.2 998.4 1,000.3 Comprehensive 
			 Leicestershire 989.6 992.6 991.1 Comprehensive 
			 Lincolnshire 1,007.5 1,004.6 1,006.1 Partially Selective 
			 Northamptonshire 992.0 992.2 992.1 Comprehensive 
			 Nottingham City 996.7 1,003.4 1,000.1 Comprehensive 
			 Nottinghamshire 989.9 991.8 990.8 Comprehensive 
			  
			  West Midlands 998.8 1,000.8 999.8  
			 Herefordshire 1,006.0 1,005.2 1,005.6 Comprehensive 
			 Worcestershire 1,007.0 1,004.9 1,006.0 Comprehensive 
			 Telford and The Wrekin 1,006.5 1,003.3 1,005.0 Partially Selective 
			 Shropshire 1,003.4 1,005.8 1,004.6 Comprehensive 
			 Stoke on Trent 995.6 996.6 996.1 Partially Selective 
			 Staffordshire 994.9 998.6 996.7 Comprehensive 
			 Warwickshire 999.3 997.6 998.5 Partially Selective 
			 Birmingham 999.8 1,004.4 1,002.1 Partially Selective 
			 Coventry 998.4 994.8 996.6 Comprehensive 
			 Dudley 1,002.8 1,004.4 1,003.5 Comprehensive 
			 Sandwell 997.6 994.9 996.3 Comprehensive 
			 Solihull 994.0 996.3 995.1 Comprehensive 
			 Walsall 984.8 997.0 990.6 Partially Selective 
			 Wolverhampton 995.3 1,004.4 999.9 Partially Selective 
			  
			  East of England 1,001.7 1,001.8 1,001.7  
			 Luton 993.9 993.1 993.5 Comprehensive 
			 Bedfordshire 999.7 1,001.1 1,000.4 Comprehensive 
			 City of Peterborough 1,005.1 1,005.6 1,005.4 Comprehensive 
			 Cambridgeshire 1,004.8 1,002.6 1,003.7 Comprehensive 
			 Southend 1,000.6 1,001.7 1,001.2 Selective 
			 Thurrock 1,003.3 1,011.5 1,007.5 Comprehensive 
			 Essex 998.1 1,000.4 999.2 Partially Selective 
			 Hertfordshire 1,000.5 999.4 1,000.0 Comprehensive 
			 Norfolk 1,005.4 1,000.4 1,003.0 Comprehensive 
			 Suffolk 1,007.3 1,008.7 1,008.1 Comprehensive 
			  
			  London 1,005.6 1,007.1 1,006.3  
			  Inner London 1,009.3 1,012.4 1,010.9  
			 Camden 998.5 1,002.9 1,001.2 Comprehensive 
			 Hackney 1,007.2 1,025.9 1,019.1 Comprehensive 
			 Hammersmith and Fulham 1,012.7 1,008.2 1,010.5 Comprehensive 
			 Haringey 1,011.3 1,010.9 1,011.2 Comprehensive 
			 Islington 1,010.2 1,021.3 1,015.6 Comprehensive 
			 Kensington and Chelsea 1,013.9 1,001.1 1,008.5 Comprehensive 
			 Lambeth 1,017.9 1,012.6 1,015.1 Comprehensive 
			 Lewisham 1,007.5 1,012.9 1,010.3 Comprehensive 
			 Newham 1,006.9 1,019.0 1,013.0 Comprehensive 
			 Southwark 1,014.9 1,014.7 1,014.9 Comprehensive 
			 Tower Hamlets 1,017.8 1,016.7 1,017.4 Comprehensive 
			 Wandsworth 1,014.4 998.8 1,007.5 Comprehensive 
			 Westminster 974.6 995.7 985.8 Comprehensive 
			  
			  Outer London 1,004.0 1,004.7 1,004.3  
			 Barking and Dagenham 1,002.6 1,007.1 1,004.8 Comprehensive 
			 Barnet 1,008.1 1,007.8 1,008.0 Partially Selective 
			 Bexley 1,001.2 1,000.8 1,001.0 Partially Selective 
			 Brent 1,006.3 1,005.4 1,005.9 Comprehensive 
			 Bromley 1,014.4 1,000.6 1,007.5 Partially Selective 
			 Croydon 1,000.2 1,005.8 1,003.1 Comprehensive 
			 Ealing 1,013.6 1,009.8 1,011.7 Comprehensive 
			 Enfield 1,001.0 1,001.9 1,001.5 Partially Selective 
			 Greenwich 1,000.3 1,007.4 1,003.9 Comprehensive 
			 Harrow 1,012.0 1,015.1 1,013.6 Comprehensive 
			 Havering 1,004.4 1,000.8 1,002.7 Comprehensive 
			 Hillingdon 987.5 991.5 989.5 Comprehensive 
			 Hounslow 998.1 1,004.4 1,001.3 Comprehensive 
			 Kingston upon Thames 996.9 1,005.2 1,001.3 Partially Selective 
			 Merton 989.1 992.9 990.8 Comprehensive 
			 Redbridge 1,018.7 1,015.9 1,017.4 Partially Selective 
			 Richmond upon Thames 988.6 989.5 988.9 Comprehensive 
			 Sutton 997.9 1,003.6 1,000.8 Partially Selective 
			 Waltham Forest 1,017.0 1,017.2 1,017.2 Comprehensive 
			  
			  South East 1,002.0 1,000.9 1,001.5  
			 Bracknell Forest 992.6 1,000.2 996.3 Comprehensive 
			 Windsor and Maidenhead 998.6 1,003.7 1,001.0 Comprehensive 
			 West Berkshire 1,009.8 1,004.8 1,007.4 Comprehensive 
			 Reading 998.0 990.8 994.3 Partially Selective 
			 Slough 993.0 1,001.0 996.9 Selective 
			 Wokingham 995.6 996.2 995.9 Comprehensive 
			 Milton Keynes 1,001.9 999.7 1,000.8 Comprehensive 
			 Buckinghamshire 997.1 996.1 996.6 Selective 
			 Brighton and Hove 1,006.5 1,001.7 1,004.1 Comprehensive 
			 East Sussex 1,010.8 1,009.3 1,010.1 Comprehensive 
			 Portsmouth 992.8 998.9 995.8 Comprehensive 
			 Southampton 994.9 1,006.1 1,000.5 Comprehensive 
			 Hampshire 1,001.6 1,000.2 1,000.9 Comprehensive 
			 Isle of Wight 999.4 996.3 997.8 Comprehensive 
			 Medway 1,009.5 1,004.0 1,006.7 Selective 
			 Kent 1,006.4 1,004.0 1,005.2 Selective 
			 Oxfordshire 1,002.8 1,001.0 1,001.9 Comprehensive 
			 Surrey 995.5 995.4 995.5 Comprehensive 
			 West Sussex 1,003.0 1,000.5 1,001.8 Comprehensive 
			  
			  South West 1,001.9 1,001.4 1,001.6  
			 Bath and NE Somerset 1,007.4 1,002.9 1,005.0 Comprehensive 
			 Bristol 995.0 992.0 993.5 Comprehensive 
			 North Somerset 995.1 994.7 994.9 Comprehensive 
			 South Gloucestershire 992.8 993.7 993.2 Comprehensive 
			 Cornwall 1,006.7 1,005.7 1,006.2 Comprehensive 
			 Isles of Scilly 1,018.6 1,015.8 1,023.4 Comprehensive 
			 Torbay 996.8 998.0 997.3 Selective 
			 City of Plymouth 1,001.3 1,002.4 1,001.8 Partially Selective 
			 Devon 1,002.8 1,003.6 1,003.2 Partially Selective 
			 Bournemouth 990.6 997.7 994.0 Partially Selective 
			 Poole 1,012.5 1,002.5 1,007.5 Partially Selective 
			 Dorset 1,009.5 1,008.7 1,009.1 Comprehensive 
			 Gloucestershire 1,003.6 1,000.8 1,002.2 Partially Selective 
			 Somerset 998.5 1,001.2 999.8 Comprehensive 
			 Swindon 995.1 993.1 994.2 Comprehensive 
			 Wiltshire 1,004.7 1,004.3 1,004.5 Partially Selective 
			  
			 Total (maintained sector) 1,000.4 1,000.7 1,000.6  
			  
			 England average(4) 1,000.4 1,000.7 1,000.6  
			 (1) Number of pupils on roll at the end of key stage 4 in the 2005/06 academic year. (2) Including attempts and achievements by these pupils in previous academic years. (3) Local authority, Government office region and total (maintained sector) figures are adjusted for pupils recently arrived from overseas. (4) England averages include all schools. (5) A partially selective local authority has less than 25 per cent. of 13 year old pupils on roll attending one or more selective schools. A selective local authority has 25 per cent. or more 13 year old pupils on roll attending one or more selective schools. A comprehensive local authority is where all of its pupils are attending comprehensive schools. (Definition used in the 2006 Schools White Paper.)  Source: GCSE and Equivalent Examination Results in England 2005/06 (Revised)Table 19 [http://www.dfes.gov.uk/rsgateway/DB/SFR/s000702/index.shtml]

Education: Surveys

Nick Gibb: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills pursuant to the answer of 19 March 2007,  Official Report, column 943W, on education: surveys, if he will place in the Library copies of the interim reports presented to the Qualifications and Curriculum Authority on 21 March 2007 referred to in the tender documents for analysis of responses to the secondary curriculum review.

Jim Knight: We have no plans to publish the interim report presented to the QCA on 21 March.
	This was an internal milestone report for the QCA produced in order to ensure appropriate contract management of the survey.

ESOL

Lynne Featherstone: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what the budget was for English for Speakers of Other Languages provision over the last five years.

Bill Rammell: Since 2001, the funding for English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) has been provided through the Skills for Life strategy in response to regional and local demand.
	The Learning and Skills Council (LSC) calculates the total amounts spent on ESOL as 103 million in 2000/01, 185 million in 2001/02, 235 million in 2002/03, 267 million in 2003/04 and 279 million in 2004/05. The 2005/06 final spend has yet to be confirmed by the LSC; figures prior to 2000/01 are not available as ESOL only became part of the Skills for Life strategy in 2001.

ESOL

Lynne Featherstone: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what the total monetary contribution to the English for Speakers of Other Languages programme was from employers in each of the last five years.

Bill Rammell: Since 2001, the funding for English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) has been fully funded through the Skills for Life strategy in response to regional and local demand.
	Employers (and individuals) are currently not required to contribute to ESOL programmes. However, we are committed to taking forward the dialogue with social partners about securing employer contributions to the cost of learning. New ESOL for Work qualifications will be introduced from September and will have a stronger focus on the language skills needed for the work environment through shorter, less expensive, more work-focused qualifications.

ESOL

Lynne Featherstone: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what percentage of students enrolled on English for Speakers of Other Languages programmes are on full fee remission.

Bill Rammell: All students currently enrolled on English for Speakers of Other Languages programmes are on full fee remission.

ESOL

Lynne Featherstone: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many people participated in English for Speakers of Other Languages courses in each London borough in each of the last five academic years for which figures are available.

Bill Rammell: This information is collected by the national Learning and Skills Council (LSC) and I have asked Mark Haysom, the LSC's chief executive, to write to my hon. Friend with this information and a copy of his reply has been placed in the Library.

GCSE

Nick Gibb: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills 
	(1)  how many and what proportion of GCSE-age pupils attempted a full GCSE in  (a) mathematics,  (b) English,  (c) science,  (d) design and technology,  (e) information and communication technology,  (f) physical education,  (g) history,  (h) geography,  (i) art and design,  (j) music and  (k) a modern foreign language in each of the last 10 years;
	(2)  how many and what proportion of GCSE-age pupils eligible for free school meals attempted a full GCSE in  (a) mathematics,  (b) English,  (c) science,  (d) design and technology,  (e) information and communication technology,  (f) physical education,  (g) history,  (h) geography,  (i) art and design,  (j) music and  (k) a modern foreign language in each of the last 10 years.

Jim Knight: Information on the number and percentage of pupils attempting a full GCSE by subject is shown in the following tables.
	Information on the number and percentage of pupils eligible for free school meals attempting a full GCSE by subject can be provided only at a disproportionate cost.
	
		
			  GCSE achievements of 15-year-old pupils( 1 ) in all Schools by subject group 
			Mathematics  English  Double Award Science 
			   Number of 15 - year - old pupils  Number of pupils entered for GCSE  Percentage of all 15-year-olds attempting subject  Number of pupils entered for GCSE  Percentage of all 15-year-olds attempting subject  Number of pupils entered for GCSE  Percentage of all 15-year-olds attempting subject 
			 1997 586,766 533,992 91 533,348 91 439,480 75 
			 1998 575,210 526,882 92 519,983 90 431,348 75 
			 1999 580,972 536,779 92 530,173 91 441,897 76 
			 2000 580,393 539,934 93 533,227 92 445,100 77 
			 2001 603,318 563,852 93 555,392 92 464,403 77 
			 2002 606,554 568,851 94 560,199 92 466,469 77 
			 2003 622,122 585,017 94 577,427 93 474,451 76 
			 2004 643,560 606,002 94 597,621 93 479,591 75 
			 2005 636,796 600,811 94 593,648 93 447,702 70 
			 2006 648,942 610,516 94 606,598 93 439,919 68 
		
	
	
		
			Design and Technology( 2)  Computer Studies  Information Technology( 3) 
			   Number of 15-year-old pupils  Number of pupils entered for GCSE  Percentage of all 15-year-olds attempting subject  Number of pupils entered for GCSE  Percentage of all 15-year-olds attempting subject  Number of pupils entered for GCSE  Percentage of all 15-year-olds attempting subject 
			 1997 586,766 138,396 24 14,694 3   
			 1998 575,210 375,453 65 42,651 7   
			 1999 580,972 395,155 68 71,151 12   
			 2000 580,393 404,832 70 81,148 14   
			 2001 603,318 416,015 69 95,150 16   
			 2002 606,554 409,414 67 97,954 16   
			 2003 622,122 414,324 67 75,995 12   
			 2004 643,560 408,525 63   80,565 13 
			 2005 636,796 365,558 57   84,007 13 
			 2006 648,942 337,233 52   89,937 14 
		
	
	
		
			Physical Education  History  Geography 
			   Number of 15-year-old pupils  Number of pupils entered for GCSE  Percentage of all 15-year-olds attempting subject  Number of pupils entered for GCSE  Percentage of all 15-year-olds attempting subject  Number of pupils entered for GCSE  Percentage of all 15-year-olds attempting subject 
			 1997 586,766 80,914 14 207,486 35 259,809 44 
			 1998 575,210 83,665 15 189,070 33 235,908 41 
			 1999 580,972 93,503 16 188,934 33 229,802 40 
			 2000 580,393 96,769 17 190,279 33 217,087 37 
			 2001 603,318 105,651 18 195,231 32 220,378 37 
			 2002 606,554 111,750 18 193,945 32 208,274 34 
			 2003 622,122 110,744 18 194,801 31 200,127 32 
			 2004 643,560 121,433 19 205,539 32 197,123 31 
			 2005 636,796 141,945 22 202,595 32 186,706 29 
			 2006 648,942 152,375 23 208,947 32 184,978 29 
		
	
	
		
			Art and Design  Music  French 
			   Number of 15-year-old pupils  Number of pupils entered for GCSE  Percentage of all 15-year-olds attempting subject  Number of pupils entered for GCSE  Percentage of all 15-year-olds attempting subject  Number of pupils entered for GCSE  Percentage of all 15-year-olds attempting subject 
			 1997 586,766 194,666 33 39,691 7 306,055 52 
			 1998 575,210 180,735 31 38,155 7 307,293 53 
			 1999 580,972 183,157 32 40,709 7 311,384 54 
			 2000 580,393 178,219 31 41,486 7 313,146 54 
			 2001 603,318 180,627 30 41,625 7 321,207 53 
			 2002 606,554 182,056 30 43,470 7 311,847 51 
			 2003 622,122 186,968 30 47,557 8 304,472 49 
			 2004 643,560 187,504 29 50,979 8 289,756 45 
			 2005 636,796 184,814 29 52,228 8 243,177 38 
			 2006 648,942 189,723 29 55,000 8 211,045 33 
		
	
	
		
			German  Spanish  Other Modern Languages 
			   Number of 15-year-old pupils  Number of pupils entered for GCSE  Percentage of all 15-year-olds attempting subject  Number of pupils entered for GCSE  Percentage of all 15-year-olds attempting subject  Number of pupils entered for GCSE  Percentage of all 15-year-olds attempting subject 
			 1997 586,766 127,510 22 34,454 6 17,791 3 
			 1998 575,210 127,374 22 38,810 7 18,207 3 
			 1999 580,972 129,765 22 39,523 7 18,779 3 
			 2000 580,393 127,437 22 42,288 7 19,423 3 
			 2001 603,318 130,627 22 45,629 8 20,317 3 
			 2002 606,554 124,717 21 48,444 8 20,641 3 
			 2003 622,122 120,659 19 51,299 8 21,508 3 
			 2004 643,560 116,347 18 53,539 8 21,879 3 
			 2005 636,796 98,712 16 51,732 8 17,697 3 
			 2006 648,942 85,247 13 52,478 8 19,148 3 
			 (1) Those pupils aged 15 at 31 August at the start of the academic year. (2) Combined Syllabuses for Design and Technology and Information Systems are shown with the main subjects. (3) Also includes Computer Studies, Information Systems and any combined syllabus of which Information Technology is the major part.

GCSE: Results

Nick Gibb: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills if he will list the bottom 200 schools in terms of proportions achieving five or more GCSEs A*-C including English, mathematics, science and a modern foreign language in 2006.

Jim Knight: The information requested has been placed in the House of Commons Library.
	This analysis is based on the revised 2006 KS4 data.

GCSE: Results

Bernard Jenkin: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many and what proportion of pupils left school without at least five GCSEs at grade C or above including one in mathematics and one in English in  (a) the last year for which figures are available and  (b) each of the previous 10 years.

Jim Knight: holding answer 27 March 2007
	 The information requested is shown in the following table.
	
		
			  GCSE and equivalent attempts and achievements, 1995/96 to 2005/06( 1)  in England 
			Pupils not achieving 5+ A*-C grades at GCSE o r  equivalent inc. GCSEs in English and mathematics 
			   Number of pupils( 2)  Number  Percentage 
			  15-year-olds
			 1995/96 594,035 384,686 64.8 
			 1996/97(3) 586,766 377,609 64.4 
			 1997/98 575,210 362,639 63.0 
			 1998/99 580,972 356,489 61.4 
			 1999/2000 580,393 348,307 60.0 
			 2000/01 603,318 357,897 59.3 
			 2001/02 606,554 351,422 57.9 
			 2002/03 622,122 361,686 58.1 
			 2003/04(4) 643,560 369,078 57.3 
			 2004/05 636,771 354,597 55.7 
			 2005/06(5) 648,942 354,837 54.7 
			 
			  Pupils at End Key Stage 4
			 2004/05 633,414 349,205 55.1 
			 2005/06(5) 645,931 349,894 54.2 
			 (1 )Including attempts and achievement in previous academic years. (2) Number of pupils on roll aged 15 at the start of the academic year or from 2004/05 figures are also shown for the number of pupils at the end of Key Stage 4 in that academic year. (3) Percentages from 1996/97 include GCSEs and GNVQs. (4) Percentages from 2003/04 include GCSEs and other equivalent qualifications approved for use pre-16. (5) Figures for 2005/06 are revised, all other figures are final.

GCSE: Results

David Willetts: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills 
	(1)  what percentage of pupils gained five A*-C grades at GCSE including mathematics, English, science, history and geography in each year between 1997 and 2006;
	(2)  what percentage of pupils gained five A*-C grades at GCSE including mathematics, English, geography, modern languages and double science in each year between 1997 and 2006;
	(3)  what percentage of pupils gained five A*-C grades at GCSE including mathematics, English, history, geography, modern languages and double science in each year between 1997 and 2006;
	(4)  what percentage of pupils gained five A*-C grades at GCSE excluding mathematics, English, history, geography, modern languages and double science in each year between 1997 and 2006.

Jim Knight: The information requested is given in the following table:
	
		
			   Percentage of 15-year-old pupils( 1)  who gained at least five A*-C grades at GCSE or equivalent including mathematics, English, science, history and geography  Percentage of 15-year-old pupils( 1)  who gained at least five A*-C grades at GCSE or equivalent including mathematics, English, geography, modern languages and double science  Percentage of 15-year-old pupils( 1)  who gained at least five A*-C grades at GCSE or equivalent including mathematics, English, history, geography, modern languages and double science  Percentage of 15-year-old pupils( 1)  who gained at least five A*-C grades at GCSE or equivalent, excluding( 2)  grades A*-C at GCSE in mathematics, English, history, geography, modern languages or double science 
			 2006 8.8 12.6 4.4 3.2 
			 2005 9.0 14.7 4.9 2.4 
			 2004 9.0 16.5 5.3 1.7 
			 2003 8.9 17.4 5.4 1.3 
			 2002 9.6 19.8 6.0 0.5 
			 2001 10.2 21.9 6.6 0.1 
			 2000 10.3 21.9 6.5 0.1 
			 1999 10.9 23.3 6.9 0.1 
			 1998 11.4 23.3 7.0 0.1 
			 1997 12.8 23.4 7.6 0.0 
			 (1) Number of pupils aged 15 at the start of the academic year, i.e. 31 August.  (2 )These figures exclude pupils who achieved grade C or above in any of mathematics, English, history, geography, modern languages or double science.

Headteachers: Vacancies

Sarah Teather: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many head teacher vacancies were advertised in the 10 per cent. of schools with the  (a) highest and  (b) lowest levels of free school meal entitlement in the latest year for which figures are available.

Jim Knight: The information is not available in the format requested.
	Information on vacancies is not available at the school level and therefore cannot be linked to school meal entitlement.

Health Education: Sex

Anne McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what plans he has to improve sex education in schools.

Parmjit Dhanda: We are committed to helping schools improve their planning and delivery of this important area of the curriculum. In addition to the Department's Sex and Relationship Education (SRE) Guidance (2000), all teachers of SRE are encouraged to undertake the Government funded continuing professional development programme for Personal Social and Health Education (PSHE). The programme, which is also open to community nurses, supports standards in the delivery of PSHE teaching including SRE. To date, over 5,000 teachers and nurses have benefited from the programme.
	Other measures to support high quality SRE provision include:
	(i) DfES funding for the recently launched subject association for PSHE. The association will provide support and advice to teachers on all areas of PSHE, including SRE;
	(ii) Increased funding (13.2 million) in 2007-08 (for the National Healthy Schools programme. This key programme for driving up standards in PSHE, requires schools, for the purposes of accreditation, to demonstrate that they have a SRE programme in line with DfES guidance; and
	(iii) Detailed guidance to teachers from the Qualifications and Curriculum Authority, covering how schools can evaluate what young people are learning through PSHE, including SRE.

Higher Education

Lindsay Hoyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what the average cost to the public purse of a university degree in England was in each of the last 10 years.

Bill Rammell: The funding per full-time equivalent higher education student studying at English institutions funded by the Higher Education Funding Council for England (HEFCE) and the Training and Development Agency for Schools (TDA) is shown in the following table; in addition to these totals, institutions have received income from tuition fees, and from September 2006 have been able to charge up to 3,000 for full-time home and EU undergraduates, with the Government, not students, meeting the upfront costs.
	
		
			  Real terms (2004-05 prices)  Funding per planned student () 
			 1997-98 4,230  
			 1998-99 4,110  
			 1999-2000 4,530  
			 2000-01 4,530  
			 2001-02 4,560  
			 2002-03 4,590  
			 2003-04 4,740  
			 2004-05 4,770  
			 2005-06(1)  4,820 
			 2006-07  4,880 
			 (1) The planned student numbers used in the figures to 2004-05 are taken from a snapshot count. The planned student numbers used in figures from 2005-06 are taken from a whole-year count which replaced the snapshot count method because it is more accurate. 
		
	
	These funds include recurrent resources for teaching and research provided to the HEFCE and the IDA. Figures exclude tuition fee income and expenditure on student support costs.
	The total cost per course would depend on the duration of study, and can be calculated from these per annum costs in each case.
	The coverage of these figures is Home (i.e. UK) and EU domiciled students, including postgraduates, studying at Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) and Further Education Colleges (FECs) in England.

Higher Education: Sports

Adrian Bailey: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what assessment he has made of the impact of specialist sports colleges on standards in teaching and learning of PE and school sport.

Jim Knight: Sports colleges have consistently performed at or above the national average for attainment of a good grade in PE. Their wider GCSE performances have also improved since designation. This rate of improvement has been the highest of all the specialisms for the second year running.
	Sports colleges play a key role in driving school sport partnerships which are central to the DfES/DCMS Physical Education, School Sport and Club Links (PESSCL) strategy. Ofsted has evaluated the strategy since 2003. Their latest report (2006) found that:
	The school sport partnership programme was helping to improve the quality of provision in physical education and school sport, particularly in primary schools.
	The sport partnership programme had enabled subject leaders to influence their colleagues' teaching and improve provision.
	The DfES has also commissioned the Institute of Youth Sport at Loughborough university to carry out a series of independent impact studies on the strategy. The second annual study (2006) found that
	Not only have school sport partnerships increased considerably the range and quality of sports and PE opportunities available to pupils, the data also shows that the programme still possesses considerable momentum as indicated by the substantial improvement in participation levels and in the quality of the experience of pupils in sport over the twelve months since the last report.

Higher Education: Tees Valley

Iain Wright: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what percentage of  (a) 18 and  (b) 19 year olds from (i) Hartlepool constituency and (ii) Tees Valley sub-region joined university courses in each of the last 10 years.

Bill Rammell: The latest available figures on participation in higher education by local areas were published by the Higher Education Funding Council for England (HEFCE) in January 2005 in Young Participation in England, which is available from their website at:
	http://www.hefce.ac.uk/pubs/hefce/2005/05_03/.
	This report shows participation rates for young people who enter higher education aged 18 or 19 for the years 1997 to 2000. The figures for Hartlepool parliamentary constituency, Tees Valley Learning and Skills Council area and the comparable figure for England, are shown in the following table. HEFCE have not produced participation rates beyond 2000.
	
		
			  Young participation rate (YPR (A)) in Higher Education( 1)  for year cohort aged 18 
			   1997  1998  1999  2000 
			 Cohort for Hartlepool(2) 1,230 1,270 1,180 1,190 
			 Young participation rate (A) for Hartlepool(3) (Percentage) 20.0 20.0 20.0 20.0 
			  
			 Cohort for Tees Valley(2) 8,980 9,330 8,990 8,780 
			 Young participation rate (A) for Tees Valley(3) (Percentage) 23.0 23.0 24.0 24.0 
			  
			 Young participation rate (A) for England (Percentage) 29.2 28.8 29.2 29.9 
			 (1) Covers all students studying higher education courses at UK higher education institutions and other UK institutions, for example further education colleges. (2) Cohorts are reported to the nearest 10. (3) Young participation rates for constituencies are reported to the nearest per cent. Source: Higher Education Funding Council for England 
		
	
	The total numbers of undergraduate entrants to UK higher education institutions from Hartlepool parliamentary constituency and Tees Valley for each year since 2001/02 are given in the following table.
	
		
			  Entrants to undergraduate courses( 1)  from Hartlepool parliamentary constituency and Tees Valley( 2) , 200/02 to 2005/06 
			   2001/02  2002/03  2003/04 
			  Age  Hartlepool  Tees Valley  Hartlepool  Tees Valley  Hartlepool  Tees Valley 
			 Aged 18 250 1,940 235 1,910 215 1,975 
			 Aged 19 90 810 115 820 105 825 
			 Aged19 and over(3) 710 6,745 760 6,705 810 6,415 
			 Total entrants 1,050 9,495 1,110 19,435 1,125 9,215 
		
	
	
		
			   2004/05  2005/06 
			  Age  Hartlepool  Tees Valley  Hartlepool  Tees Valley 
			 Aged 18 205 1,920 275 2,065 
			 Aged 19 95 765 115 845 
			 Aged19 and over(3) 845 7,095 875 7,150 
			 Total entrants 1,150 9,780 1,265 10,055 
			 (1) Covers all students studying higher education courses at UK higher education institutions only. Students studying higher education courses elsewhere such as further education colleges are excluded. (2) Tees Valley covers students from five local authorities: Hartlepool, Middlesbrough, Redcar and Cleveland, Stockton-on-Tees and Darlington. (3) Includes a very small number of students with unknown ages or ages under 18.  Note: Figures are based on the HESA standard registration population for entrants and have been rounded to the nearest five, so components may not sum to totals.  Source: Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA) 
		
	
	The Department uses the Higher Education Initial Participation Rate (HEIPR) to assess progress on increasing first-time participation of English students aged 18-30 in higher education towards 50 per cent: the latest provisional figure for 2005/06 is 43 per cent. The HEIPR is not calculated at parliamentary constituency level or local authority level.

Languages: GCSE

Sarah Teather: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many and what percentage of students achieved A*-C at GCSE in a modern language in the 10 per cent. of schools with the  (a) highest and  (b) lowest levels of free school meal entitlement in (i) 2006 and (ii) 1997.

Jim Knight: The information requested can be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Literacy: Assessments

Nick Gibb: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills pursuant to his answer of 2 March 2007,  Official Report, columns 1610-1W, on the secondary education curriculum, if he will place in the Library a copy of the Assessing Pupil Progress materials for reading and writing that were distributed to all secondary schools in 2006.

Jim Knight: Yes. Copies will also be sent directly to the hon. Member.

Literacy: Standards

Bernard Jenkin: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many and what proportion of pupils left school functionally illiterate in  (a) the last year for which figures are available and  (b) each of the previous 10 years.

Jim Knight: The answer to this PQ has been placed in the House of Commons Library.

Local Education Authorities: Tribunals

James Arbuthnot: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills whether his Department keeps records  (a) nationally and  (b) broken down by authority of the costs to local education authorities of preparing for cases before tribunals.

Jim Knight: holding answer 29 March 2007
	The Department for Education and Skills does not collect this information. The Special Educational Needs and Disability Tribunal (SENDIST) is no longer managed by the Department. On 1 April 2006 SENDIST became part of the Tribunals Service, an executive agency of the Department for Constitutional Affairs.

Mathematics: Curriculum

Nick Gibb: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills why it is proposed that there should no longer be a foundation and higher programme of study in mathematics at key stage 4 under the proposed changes to the curriculum of the Qualifications and Curriculum Authority.

Jim Knight: Mathematics is currently the only subject to have a tiered programme of study at key stage 4. Pupils should be entitled to access all learning relevant to the key stage at the level most appropriate to them. The current tiered curriculum creates an artificial ceiling of expectation for pupils following the foundation tier. The new single programme of study will enable teachers to personalise the curriculum to suit the needs of individual pupils, allowing them to engage with mathematics at all levels.

Numeracy: Teachers

Nick Gibb: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many teachers who qualified between 1 May 2000 and 30 April 2001 have not passed the numeracy skills test.

Jim Knight: According to figures provided by the General Teaching Council for England (GTCE) there are currently 538 teachers who qualified between 1 May 2000 and 30 April 2001 and who have not passed the numeracy skills test. GTCE records indicate that of these 538 there are 87 teaching in maintained schools or non-maintained special schools.

Nurseries: East Sussex

Nigel Waterson: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many nursery places for three and four-year-olds there were in  (a) Eastbourne and  (b) East Sussex in each of the last five years.

Beverley Hughes: The available information is shown in the following tables.
	
		
			  Number of part time funded places( 1,2,3 ) filled by three and four-year-olds, parliamentary constituency: Eastbourne, position in January each year 
			   Three-year-olds  Four-year-olds 
			  Year  Maintained nursery and primary schools( 4)  Other maintained and private, voluntary and independent providers( 5)  Total three-year-olds  Maintained nursery and primary schools( 6)  Other maintained and private, voluntary and independent providers( 7)  Total four-year-olds 
			 2004 120 720 840 670 330 1,000 
			 2005 130 750 880 620 350 960 
			 2006 110 700 810 660 300 960 
			 (1) A place is equal to five or more sessions and can be filled by more than one child. (2) Figures are rounded to the nearest 100 if they exceed 1,000 and to the nearest 10 otherwise. (3) Prior to 2004, information on early education places was derived from returns made by local authorities as part of the Nursery Education Grant (NEG) data collection exercise. These data were collected at local authority level, therefore, data for Eastbourne parliamentary constituency are not available. (4) Headcount of children aged three at 31 December in the previous calendar year from the Schools Census. (5) Part-time equivalent number of children aged three at 31 December in the previous calendar year from the Early Years Census and the Schools Census. (6) Headcount of children aged four at 31 December in the previous calendar year from the Schools Census. (7) Part-time equivalent number of children aged four at 31 December in the previous calendar year from the Early Years Census and the Schools Census. 
		
	
	
		
			  Number of part time funded places12 filled by three and four-year-olds, local authority: East Sussex, position in January each year 
			   Three-year-olds  Four-year-olds 
			  Year  Maintained nursery and primary schools( 3)  Other maintained and private, voluntary and independent providers  Total three-year-olds  Maintained nursery and primary schools( 4)  Other maintained and private, voluntary and independent providers  Total four-year-olds 
			 1997 930 n/a 930 n/a n/a (5,6)4,800 
			 1998 610 n/a 610 n/a n/a (5,6)5,000 
			 1999 600 n/a 600 n/a n/a (5,6)5,300 
			 2000 570 (7)0 600 n/a n/a (5,6)5,200 
			 2001 590 (7)1,100 1,700 n/a n/a (5,6)5,000 
			 2002 570 (7)1,400 1,900 3,700 (5)1,600 5,300 
			 2003 550 (7)2,700 3,300 3,600 (8)1,600 5,200 
			 2004 470 (9)3,500 4,000 3,500 (10)1,600 5,100 
			 2005 470 (9)3,400 3,900 3,300 (10)1,500 4,800 
			 2006 430 (9)3,400 3,800 3,300 (10)1,400 4,700 
			 n/a = not available (1) A place is equal to five or more sessions and can be filled by more than one child. (2) Figures are rounded to the nearest 100 if they exceed 1,000 and to the nearest 10 otherwise. (3) Headcount of children aged three at 31 December in the previous calendar year from the Schools Census. (4) Headcount of children aged four at 31 December in the previous calendar year from the Schools Census. (5) Part-time equivalent number of children aged four at 31 December in the previous calendar year from the Nursery Education Grant data collection exercise. (6) For the years 1997-2001, four-year-old sub-national figures from the Nursery Education Grant data collection exercise can not be disaggregated between the maintained and private, voluntary and independent sectors. (7) Part-time equivalent number of children aged three at 31 December in the previous calendar year from the Nursery Education Grant data collection exercise. (8) Part-time equivalent number of children aged four at 31 December in the previous calendar year from the Early Years Census supplementary date collection exercise and the Schools Census. (9) Part-time equivalent number of children aged three at 31 December in the previous calendar year from the Early Years Census and the Schools Census. (10) Part-time equivalent number of children aged four at 31 December in the previous calendar year from the Early Years Census and the Schools Census. 
		
	
	The latest figures on early education places for three and four-year-olds in England were published in Statistical First Release 32/2006 Provision for children under five years of age in EnglandJanuary 2006 (final) in August, which is available on my Department's website at:
	ww.dfes.gov.uk/rsgateway/.

Politics and Government: Children

David Willetts: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what the cost was of setting up and maintaining the DirectgovKids website; what its purpose is; and how many visitors it has had.

Parmjit Dhanda: The information requested is as follows.
	 What is the purpose of DirectgovKids?
	DirectgovKids (www.direct.gov.uk/kids) is the single site within Government for five to 11-year-olds.
	The purpose of the site is to support the UN convention on the Rights of the Child, to inform children on how Government affect their lives, and to help them learn about and understand the society they are growing up in.
	It contributes towards meeting Public Sector Agreement and Every Child Matters targets related to children, e.g. with content on healthy eating and exercise, democracy and participation.
	DirectgovKids can be used in the classroom, across the curriculum, as it has many useful lesson materials. It also has more specific applications for the teaching of Citizenship/Personal, Social and Health Education for Key Stages 1 and 2. Children can also access it from their home personal computer.
	 What was the cost of setting up and maintaining the website?
	The cost of setting up the website was:
	2005/06983,751 + vat
	2006/07947,216 +vat
	This is 25p on average per year for each child aged 5+ in a primary school in England.
	 How many visits to date?
	Since the launch on 21 March 2007 the site has had 8,218 visits (at 10 April).
	Immediately after the launch visits went up from an average of 40 to over 400 visits per day.

Pupils: Absenteeism

Philip Hollobone: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills which five local education authorities have the  (a) highest and  (b) lowest unauthorised absence rates for secondary school pupils.

Jim Knight: The answer to this request is shown in the following tables:
	
		
			  Five Local Authorities with the Lowest Rates of Unauthorised Absence 
			  Local Authority( 1)  Unauthorised Absence 
			 London, City of 0.03 
			 Isles of Scilly 0.21 
			 Rutland 0.22 
			 Harrow 0.27 
			 East Riding of Yorkshire 0.32 
			 (1) The figures by LA relate to maintained primary and secondary schools, excluding maintained special schools, academies and CTCs. 
		
	
	
		
			  Five Local Authorities with the Highest Rates of Unauthorised Absence 
			  Local Authority( 1)  Unauthorised Absence 
			 Tower Hamlets 1.61 
			 Kingston upon Hull, City of 1.63 
			 Bradford 1.66 
			 Manchester 1.84 
			 Greenwich 1.97 
			 (1) The figures by LA relate to maintained primary and secondary schools, excluding maintained special schools, academies and CTCs. 
		
	
	Unauthorised absence is absence without leave from a teacher or other authorised representative of the school. This includes all unexplained or unjustified absences, such as lateness, holidays during term time not authorised by the school, absence where reason is not yet established and truancy.
	Further information on pupil absence in schools can be found in the Statistical First Release, Pupil Absence in Schools in England: 2005/06 which can be found at:
	http://www.dfes.gov.uk/rsgateway/DB/SFR/s000679/index.shtml

Pupils: Absenteeism

Sarah Teather: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills 
	(1)  how many and what percentage of half days were missed due to unauthorised absences among pupils in the 10 per cent. of  (a) primary and  (b) secondary schools with the (i) highest and (ii) lowest levels of free school meal entitlement in (A) 2006 and (B) 1997;
	(2)  how many pupils recorded at least one half day of unauthorised absence in the 10 per cent. of schools with the  (a) highest and  (b) lowest levels of free school meal entitlement in (i) 2006 and (ii) 1997.

Jim Knight: The information requested can be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Pupils: Eyesight

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what discussions he has had with the Department of Health on  (a) the Schools Medical Service and  (b) eye checks for children.

Jim Knight: DfES Ministers have had no meetings with the DH on these topics. We have no plans to press for more eye screening in school-age children, because there is no evidence to support such a move.
	Local health services must do one medical check at some point in childhood (usually around age four, not necessarily at school). These normally pick up any eye problems. In addition, DH provides free eye checks for children and recommends that parents take advantage of these if their child experiences a difficulty. We believe these measures are sufficient.
	We suggest that teachers who have any cause for concern over a child's eyesight should raise these concerns with the parents/carers.

Pupils: Bullying

Sarah Teather: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how much his Department has spent on anti-bullying measures since 1997.

Jim Knight: The figures for the anti-bullying strand of the Improving Behaviour and Attendance strategy, which is used centrally to support schools and local authorities in their anti-bullying work, are given as follows:
	
		
			   Spend on anti-bullying () 
			 2002/03 184,000 
			 2003/04 1,054,000 
			 2004/05 1,613,000 
			 2005/06 1,145,000 
			 2006/07 1,400,000 
		
	
	Figures for earlier years are not available because the anti-bullying strand of behaviour work was not disaggregated. Other funding on behaviour and attendance may also have an effect on reducing bullying but is not used exclusively to combat bullying.

Schools: Clothing

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what assessment his Department has made of the possible introduction of formal guidelines governing religious dress in schools.

Jim Knight: holding answer 28 March 2007
	The Department has not made an assessment of the possible introduction of formal guidelines on religious dress, as governing bodies determine school uniform and dress codes under powers conferred by the School Standards and Framework Act 1998. We issue non-statutory guidance to schools, reminding them of their responsibilities under the Human Rights Act 1998 and anti-discrimination legislation. The guidance also states that schools should be sensitive to pupil's cultural and religious needs and differences and must ensure that their uniform policies are fair and reasonable.

Schools: Complaints

David Willetts: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what appeals process is in place for parents who wish to appeal against the  (a) content and  (b) operation of a school's complaints procedure.

Jim Knight: Parents with concerns about the content and operation of a school's complaints procedure can appeal to the Secretary of State. He has powers under Sections 496 and 497 of the Education Act 1996 to intervene in cases where a governing body has acted unlawfully or unreasonably, which is defined as conduct which no sensible authority or governing body, acting with due appreciation of its legal responsibilities, would have decided to adopt. Section 496 empowers the Secretary of State, where he is satisfied that a governing body has acted unreasonably with respect to the exercise of a power or the performance of a duty, to give such directions as to the exercise of the power or performance of duty as appear to him expedient.

Schools: Energy

Greg Mulholland: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what the average cost was of energy usage for an  (a) primary school,  (b) secondary school and  (c) academy in 2005-06.

Jim Knight: holding answer 19 February 2007
	In 2005-06 an average primary school spent 39 per pupil on energy and an average secondary school spent 56 per pupil. Of the 27 academies open in 2005/06 energy cost figures for 11 academies that were fully occupied are available. The average energy cost of these 11 academies was 84 per pupil.
	Reasons for academies consuming more energy than the average secondary school include:
	longer opening hours to promote extended use by the community (often hours of darkness); and
	increased use of ICT.
	Significant changes to building regulations were introduced in 2006 requiring a 40 per cent. reduction in carbon emissions compared with those built under the 2002 building regulations. Academies now being designed and built will consume less energy than those open in 2005/06.

Schools: Teenage Pregnancy

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what research has been  (a) funded and  (b) carried out by his Department into the effects of improving the ethos of schools on the rate of (i) teenage pregnancies and (ii) drug abuse; when his Department last undertook an evidence review on the issue that drew on (A) UK and (B) international research; and if he will make a statement.

Beverley Hughes: No specific research has been commissioned by DfES that looks explicitly at how a school's ethos impacts on the rate of teenage pregnancies or substance misuse.
	There is, however, evidence that schools have an important role in tackling the underlying causes of both teenage pregnancy and substance misuse, in particular through their role in raising young people's aspirations and improving their educational attainment. Research by Hosie A  Dawson N (2005): The Education of Pregnant Young Women and Young Mothers, reports that dislike of school was shown to have a strong independent effect on the risk of teenage pregnancy. This important finding is reflected in the DfES publication, Teenage Pregnancy: Accelerating the Strategy to 2010, sent to all local authorities in September 2006.

Schools: Transport

Nigel Waterson: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what the cost of providing transport for pupils attending denominational schools in  (a) Eastbourne and  (b) East Sussex was in each of the last five years.

Jim Knight: The Department does not collect this information.

Schools: Transport

Peter Ainsworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills 
	(1)  what maximum daily journey time is recommended by his Department for a pupil between home and school by  (a) bus,  (b) car and  (c) train;
	(2)  what guidance on best practice officials provide to local education authorities on maximum school journey times; and if he will place a copy in the Library.

Jim Knight: On 11 March the Department completed a consultation on draft Home to School Travel and Transport Guidance. The draft did not recommend specific home to school journey times, as we consider that reasonable journey times will depend on a number of factors, including the age and any individual needs of a child. Our guidance suggests that the maximum journey duration for a child of primary school age could be 45 minutes, while a journey of up to 75 minutes could be appropriate for a child of secondary school age. A child's special educational needs and/or disability might indicate a shorter maximum journey time.
	As soon as a printed version of the new guidance is available we will place a copy in the Library.

Secondary Education: Curriculum

Nick Gibb: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills pursuant to the answer of 1 March 2007,  Official Report, column 1480W, on secondary education: curriculum, whether he expects schools to evaluate the effectiveness of any innovative curriculum plan they undertake.

Jim Knight: We fully expect that schools will want to evaluate the effectiveness of any innovative curriculum planning they undertake.

Secondary Education: Curriculum

Nick Gibb: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many responses had the Qualifications and Curriculum Authority received to the secondary curriculum review consultation on  (a) the programme of study and  (b) the supporting materials from (i) teachers,(ii) parents and (iii) pupils as of 21 March.

Jim Knight: The secondary curriculum review consultation will run until 30 April 2007.
	In the first four weeks there have been approximately 230,000 hits on the website and about 2,000 people have participated in the on-line consultation. At this time no analysis has been made as to the category of respondent or the breakdown between responses to the programmes of study and the supporting materials.

Secondary Education: Curriculum

Nick Gibb: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills which schools were used as case studies for personal development on the Qualifications and Curriculum Authority secondary curriculum review website.

Jim Knight: All schools that submitted case studies to the secondary curriculum website were given the option of being identified by name.
	In the section of the website that covers personal development, Gaynes School Language College was the only institution which chose to be named.

Secondary Education: Teaching Methods

Ian Gibson: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what assessment is made by Ofsted during its regular inspections of state secondary schools on the provision of field visits.

Jim Knight: This is a matter for Ofsted. HM Chief Inspector, Christine Gilbert, has written to my hon. Friend and a copy of her reply has been placed in the House Library.
	 Letter from Christine Gilbert, dated 2 April 2007:
	Your recent parliamentary question has been passed to me, as Her Majesty's Chief Inspector, for reply.
	You asked what assessment is made by Ofsted during its regular inspections of state secondary schools on the provision of field visits.
	The current school inspection process focuses on the overall effectiveness of the school. It does not specifically require inspectors to make a comment or judgment on the provision of field visits. However, inspectors often make reference to the value of learning outside the classroom in the context of the 'enjoy and achieve' outcome of 'Every Child Matters'. They may also refer to the contribution made by field visits to the curriculum and specifically to the quality and range of enrichment opportunities offered by a school.
	More detail is obtained from our programme of subject surveys, obtained from visits to a sample of 30 secondary schools each year. During the last year, as part of our geography survey, we have focused on 'the quality of fieldwork'. A report drawing on this evidence will be published later this year, with examples of good practice. Ofsted has also been commissioned by the DFES to carry out a survey inspection in 2007-08 of education outside the classroom.

Special Educational Needs: Expenditure

James Arbuthnot: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills 
	(1)  what the costs to local education authorities, excluding the costs of preparation for cases before tribunals, of providing for special educational needs were in the last year for which figures are available;
	(2)  what the costs to local education authorities, excluding the costs of preparation for cases before tribunals, of providing for special educational needs out of area were in the last year for which figures are available.

Jim Knight: holding answer 29 March 2007
	 Tables have been placed in the House Library showing:
	Local authorities' total planned expenditure on the provision of education for pupils with special educational needs for the 2006-07 financial year; the figures shown include the cost of preparation for tribunals; the Department for Education and Skills is unable to extract these costs; and
	Local authorities' budgeted gross expenditure for inter-authority recoupment and local authorities budgeted net expenditure on fees for pupils at independent schools or non-maintained special schools; the figures shown exclude the cost of preparation for tribunals.

Teaching Methods: Finance

Ian Gibson: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills 
	(1)  how much funding has been made available by his Department for the promotion of the Learning Outside the Classroom Manifesto;
	(2)  what proportion of pupils studying science GCSEs have undertaken investigative fieldwork outside the classroom.

Jim Knight: Between 2006-08, the Department will make available 2.7 million to support the delivery of the aims of the Learning Outside the Classroom Manifesto. Other funding streams support a range of opportunities, for example, the joint DCMS/DFES Museums and Galleries and the London Challenge New Views programmes. Schools also use their own budgets to provide these experiences for their pupils. The Department does not collect information about the proportion of students undertaking investigative fieldwork outside the classroom.

Teaching Methods: Portsmouth

Nick Gibb: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills when Admiral Lord Nelson Business and Enterprise College in Portsmouth adopted the two year Key Stage 3 approach referred to in the Qualifications and Curriculum Authority secondary curriculum review supporting materials; and what results were achieved at Key Stage 3 in  (a) the year before adopting this approach and  (b) each year since adopting this approach.

Jim Knight: Admiral Lord Nelson Business and Enterprise College in Portsmouth adopted a two year Key stage 3 approach five years ago.
	Results achieved by schools at Key Stage 3 have only been published since 2002. The Admiral Lord Nelson Business and Enterprise College Key Stage 3 results from 2002 onwards are reproduced in the following table.
	
		
			   Percentage of pupils achieving level 5 or above: English  Percentage of pupils achieving level 5 or above: Maths  Percentage of pupils achieving level 5 or above: Science 
			 2002 78 74 70 
			 2003 85 80 76 
			 2004 77 83 59 
			 2005 68 72 61 
			 2006 74 82 72

Train to Gain Programme

John Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what percentage of the participants in the Train to Gain programme working towards qualifications have received  (a) between 0 and 20 hours,  (b) between 20 and 30 hours,  (c) between 30 and 40 hours,  (d) between 40 and 50 hours and  (e) between 50 and 60 hours training.

Phil Hope: The information requested is not collected or held centrally. The cost of collecting such information would be disproportionate, and it would be overly bureaucratic to collect from colleges and training providers.

Truancy

Sarah Teather: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how much his Department has spent on anti-truancy measures since 1997.

Jim Knight: Truancy is one of several reasons why a child may be absent from school without authorisation. My Department has spent the following on measures aimed solely at reducing absence from schools:
	11.25 million to help 530 secondary schools which had higher than average rates of unauthorised absence to purchase electronic registration systems;
	2.0 million on the National Strategies' work to provide support to local authorities on their attendance strategies;
	0.3 million on eight advisers seconded from local authorities to the Department to work with 60 local authorities with high levels of unauthorised absence;
	48,000 on absence data collections (in addition to school census collections);
	0.1 million for publicity and promotion materials; and
	0.2 million on events for local authorities to share effective practice on attendance management.
	In addition to these specific measures my Department has funded other initiatives such as the Behaviour Improvement Programme which have had, as part of their overall objectives, the reduction of absence and truancy.

Vocational Education

Martin Horwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what the timetable is for the introduction of specialised diplomas; and if he will make a statement.

Phil Hope: We have met the milestones for development of the new diploma qualifications that we published in the 14-19 Education and Skills Implementation Plan (DfES 2037-2005DCL-EN). This means that we are on track for Diploma courses to be provided for the first time from September 2008.

Youth Services: Hartlepool

Iain Wright: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what schemes funded by his Department were instituted in Hartlepool constituency to provide young people with  (a) activities and  (b) somewhere to socialise in the last five years.

Parmjit Dhanda: Youth programmes of a diversionary and/or development nature which have been funded by DfES, and instituted in Hartlepool, in the last five years include Children's Fund, Local Network Fund, the Neighbourhood Support Fund (NSF), Positive Activities for Young People (PAYP), Millennium Volunteers (MV), Youth Opportunity and Youth Capital Funds. Local authority youth services and the voluntary and community sector also run youth provision with the aim of providing personal, social and educational development for young people. All activities listed provide opportunities for young people to socialise.

Youth Work: Tees Valley

Iain Wright: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many youth workers there were in each local authority in the Tees Valley area in each of the last 10 years.

Parmjit Dhanda: Youth workers are recruited and employed locally by local authority youth services. Information is not held centrally on the number of youth workers directly employed at a local level.

HEALTH

Abortions

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many abortions have been performed by Marie Stopes International in the last three years, broken down by  (a) grounds,  (b) length of gestation,  (c) location and  (d) nationality of the pregnant woman; how many inspections were carried out on premises occupied by Marie Stopes International in each of the last three years; how many complaints have been received by her Department about Marie Stopes International in the same period; and if she will make a statement.

Caroline Flint: Information on the number of abortions performed by Marie Stopes International (MSI) in England by grounds, gestation and the woman's place of residence is set out in the following table. The place of termination has been withheld in order to protect individuals' confidentiality. This is in line with the Office for National Statistics' guidance on the disclosure of abortion statistics, 2005.
	Approved independent sector abortion clinics are inspected by the Healthcare Commission on an annual basis. Copies of the inspection reports can be viewed at:
	www.healthcarecommission.org.uk.
	The Department has received a small number of complaints during the last three years which were investigated. Under the Care Standards Act 2000, MSI is required to supply each patient with a written copy of its complaints procedure, fully investigate each complaint and maintain a detailed, written record of each complaint. MSI is also required to send the Healthcare Commission a statement every year with a summary of the complaints received.
	In addition, the Healthcare Commission look at these records as part of a clinic inspection.
	
		
			  Abortions performed by Marie Stopes International, England, 2003-05 
			   2003  2004  2005 
			 Total 53,643 58,128 58,402 
			  Grounds
			 C 53,486 57,929 58,197 
			 Other 157 199 205 
			  Gestation weeks
			 up to 9 39,315 43,924 45,490 
			 10 to 12 8,739 8,723 7,892 
			 13 and over 5,589 5,481 5,020 
			  Place of Residence
			 England 48,117 52,426 53,014 
			 Wales 520 614 551 
			 Scotland 85 118 94 
			 Northern Ireland 577 640 685 
			 Isle of Man 21 27 24 
			 Irish Republic 3,943 3,956 3,676 
			 France 38 17 23 
			 Italy 42 49 56 
			 Malta 31 53 41 
			 Spain 25 20 18 
			 United Arab Emirates 53 41 45 
			 Other 191 167 175

Accident and Emergency Departments

Nigel Waterson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to the answer of 19 March 2007,  Official Report, columns 727-28W on accident and emergency (A and E) admissions, how many attendances there were at Eastbourne District General Hospital A and E department in each of the last five years.

Andy Burnham: Information is not collected centrally at the level of individual hospitals. However, information on the total number of attendances at accident and emergency (AE) departments at East Sussex Hospitals National Health Service Trust is shown in the table.
	
		
			   Attendances at accident and emergency 
			 2002-03 86,354 
			 2003-04 90,526 
			 2004-05 101,916 
			 2005-06 110,558 
			 2006-07 84,804 
			  Note: 2006-07 data are for Q1, Q2 and Q3 only.  Source: Department of Health dataset QMAE

Accidents: Fees and Charges

John Battle: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  what the start date was of the NHS Injury Cost Recovery Scheme; and if she will make a statement;
	(2)  how much the NHS Injury Cost Recovery Scheme is expected to cover each year; and if she will make a statement.

Andy Burnham: The regulations governing the operation of the national health service injury cost recovery (ICR) scheme came into force on 29 January 2007. The ICR scheme subsumes the existing road traffic accident (RTA) recovery scheme, and expands it to cover all cases where personal injury compensation is paid.
	The existing RTA recovery scheme brings in more than 120 million for the NHS each year. We expect that the expanded scheme will recover a further 150 million a year once it is properly bedded down.

Acute Beds: East Sussex

Nigel Waterson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many acute hospital beds per head of population there were in each year since 1997 in  (a) Eastbourne and  (b) East Sussex.

Andy Burnham: The information is not available in the requested format. It is not possible to provide data for the number of beds at acute trusts by resident population or specific catchment areas. The following table contains the average daily number of acute hospital beds at East Sussex Hospitals National Health Service Trust.
	
		
			   Acute beds 
			 1996-97 753 
			 1997-98 746 
			 1998-99 715 
			 1999-2000 697 
			 2000-01 698 
			 2001-02 736 
			 2002-03 675 
			 2003-04 695 
			 2004-05 697 
			 2005-06 650 
			  Notes: East Sussex Hospitals NHS Trust was formed via the merger of Eastbourne Hospitals NHS Trust and Hastings and Rother NHS Trust.  Source:  KH03

Living Wills

Bob Laxton: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if she will establish a central database or register for living wills.

Rosie Winterton: The Government have demonstrated the importance they attach to allowing people to make their own decisions about health care by including provisions for advance decisions to refuse treatment in the Mental Capacity Act (MCA). Such advance decisions are currently sometimes called living wills. The Government's intention have always been to allow as much flexibility as possible for those making advance decisions and, therefore, there is no standard form for an advance decision. This makes issues around the formal registration of advance decisions complicated.
	The MCA code of practice recommends that people think about whether they want their health care record to reflect that they have made an advance decision. We will consider the practicalities of how this option might be realised within the context of the new national health service care records service.

Air Ambulance Services: Drugs

Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether air ambulances are required to cover the cost of their own drugs.

Andy Burnham: Since 1 April 2002, the costs of clinical staff on air ambulances should be met by the national health service. Any decision to provide funding for drugs administered by air ambulance clinical staff would, however, be a matter for the local NHS ambulance trust.

Alcohol Abuse: Young People

David Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what  (a) specialist treatment and  (b) follow up care is available for under-18 year olds admitted to hospital with an alcohol-related diagnosis.

Caroline Flint: Dependent on their individual circumstances, the vast majority of young people admitted to hospital are admitted following an acute episode of drunkenness. They may not have a substantial alcohol problem requiring treatment, but the hospital team treating them would assess this. Depending on their age and maturity, they may be referred to adult alcohol treatment services or to the local child and adolescent mental health services to address any counselling or mental health needs. If they are developing severe health problems as a result of their alcohol misuse, they would be assessed by the specialist hospital team best placed to treat their particular health conditions.

Alcohol Abuse: Young People

David Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment she has made of the effectiveness of measures to reduce alcohol abuse by under 18 year olds; and if she will make a statement.

Caroline Flint: The Government are determined to reduce the harm caused to young people by alcohol misuse and are committed to educating young people on the very real harm it can cause. We are preventing the sale of alcohol to children by strengthening enforcement of the law on retailers and working with the industry to reduce under-age sales of alcoholwhile continuing to educate young people about the harms, both physical and social, of alcohol abuse. Alcohol education is now part of the national curriculum. Updated guidance makes it clear that alcohol education should be about sensible drinking and reducing harm. This includes encouraging schools to look at the influence of the media on attitudes towards alcohol.
	The Government have a high profile alcohol campaign, Know Your Limits, aimed at 18 to 24-year-old binge drinkers, warning them of the harms associated with binge drinking.

Ambulance Services: Standards

Sandra Gidley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what recent assessment she has made of the effect of ambulance service reconfigurations on response times.

Andy Burnham: No assessment has been made. Annual national health service ambulance trust performance data for 2006-07 are due to be published this summer.

Ambulance Services: Standards

Sandra Gidley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if she will provide a breakdown of how the 25 million allocated to help improve category A ambulance response times has been spent; and what assessment she has made of the effectiveness of that expenditure.

Andy Burnham: Information on how the 25 million capital incentive scheme monies have been spent is not held centrally.
	Currently the clock starts for measuring response times when key information has been obtained from the caller. From April 2008, the clock will start earlier, when the call is connected to the ambulance control room. Response time standards will remain the same. The incentive scheme was designed to help ambulance trusts make the capital investments required to maintain response times from April 2008. It is therefore too early to make an assessment of the effectiveness of that expenditure.

Blood: Contamination

Michael Penning: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what potential conflicts of interest were notified to the Permanent Secretary by departmental Ministers between 1997 and 1999 in connection with the handling of compensation claims related to the supply of contaminated blood products by the NHS.

Rosie Winterton: holding answer 13 March 2007
	 The Department has no record available relating to notification of conflicts of interest for the period in question. To look into this any further would incur disproportionate cost.

Body Mass Index

David Ruffley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what her Department's estimate is of the average body mass index in  (a) England,  (b) the East of England,  (c) Suffolk,  (d) Bedfordshire,  (e) Cambridgeshire,  (f) Essex,  (g) Hertfordshire and  (h) Norfolk.

Caroline Flint: Information is not available in the format requested. The most recent data available on the mean body mass index (BMI) for adults and children in England is from the 2005 Health Survey for England (HSE).
	Table 1 sets out the mean BMI for adults in England in 2005.
	
		
			  Table 1: Mean body mass index for adults( 1) , England 2005 
			   Percentage /number 
			 Men 26.9 
			 Women 26.9 
			   
			  Bases (unweighted)  
			 Men 2,930 
			 Women 3,409 
			   
			  Bases (weighted)  
			 Men 3,144 
			 Women 3,184 
			 (1) Aged 16 and over.  Source: Health Survey for England 2005: Headline figures. The Information Centre. 
		
	
	Table 2 sets out the mean BMI for children by age in England in 2005.
	
		
			  Table 2: Mean BMI for children by age, England 2005 
			  Percentage/number 
			   0  1  2  3  4  5  6  7  8 
			 Boys(1)   17.2 17.3 17.1 17.6 16.8 16.9 16.9 
			 Girls(1)   (2)[17.3] 17.0 16.8 16.6 16.3 17.0 17.2 
			   
			  Bases (unweighted)  
			 Boys 4 25 62 56 73 76 64 85 86 
			 Girls 14 30 38 71 88 89 76 104 71 
			   
			  Bases (weighted)  
			 Boys 4 25 56 49 68 72 65 92 82 
			 Girls 14 30 31 60 77 80 67 94 71 
		
	
	
		
			  Percentage/number 
			   9  10  11  12  13  14  15  Total 
			 Boys(1) 17.5 17.9 18.5 19.2 20.2 20.6 21.9 18.4 
			 Girls(1) 18.3 18.3 20.0 19.8 21.5 21.8 23.0 18.7 
			  
			  Bases (unweighted) 
			 Boys 85 87 70 88 83 71 77 1,091 
			 Girls 71 81 79 100 80 67 93 1,154 
			  
			  Bases (weighted) 
			 Boys 74 84 75 95 91 82 97 1,111 
			 Girls 80 82 71 97 86 70 97 1,107 
			  Notes: 1. Figures for children aged 0 and 1 are not given due small sample sizes. 2. The unweighted sample base for this category is below 50.   Source: The Health Survey for England 2005: Headline Figures. The Information Centre. 
		
	
	Table 3 sets out the recent data available on the mean BMI for adults in the East of England Government office region (GOR) from HSE 2003. Data on the mean BMI for children in the East of England is unavailable. Information on the mean BMI for adults and children in Suffolk, Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire, Essex, Hertfordshire and Norfolk is also not available.
	
		
			  Table 3: Mean body mass index for adults( 1) , by East England Government office region, 2003 
			   Percentage/number 
			 Men 27.2 
			 Women 26.9 
			   
			  Bases (unweighted)  
			 Men 728 
			 Women 825 
			   
			  Bases (weighted)  
			 Men 755 
			 Women 735 
			 (1 )Aged 16 and over.  Source: Health Survey for England 2003. Department of Health.

Breast Cancer: Greater London

Lynne Featherstone: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  when she expects breast cancer screening services to be resumed at the North London Breast Screening Service;
	(2)  what estimate she has made of what the likely backlog will be when screening resumes at the North London Breast Screening Service;
	(3)  for what reasons the decision was taken to suspend breast cancer screening services at the North London Breast Screening Service.

Rosie Winterton: I am advised that the temporary suspension was due to system process errors that were brought to light during a routine audit being carried out by the Quality Assurance Service. The audit flagged up that women were not invited for further assessments, in line with service protocols, following their mammogram. All the women affected received a normal mammogram (i.e. no abnormalities appeared on the mammogram). However, the women had mentioned other possible symptoms during their appointment and guidelines specify that further assessment should take place.
	I understand that Enfield Primary Care Trust is currently working towards the completion of detailed plans to reopen the service during April. The service has been subject to an external review by the National Breast Screening Service Quality Assurance Team. The implementation of all the recommendations arising from the review continues to form a key part of the planning process. The trust will be able to confirm the precise arrangements for resuming the service after the review team has completed its work, which is expected by the end of March.
	The trust with their partner primary care trusts have an evolving action plan in place for the recommencement of screening and to clear the backlog, including investigating arrangements with other potential service providers and their ability to assist with the backlog.
	The unit is currently developing a full plan to facilitate the recommencement of screening services. Once this is complete the trust will be able to advise on estimates. It will also depend on whether arrangements can be put into place to screen women at other sites across London and the surrounding area. Women who have been waiting longest will be seen on a priority basis.
	Approximately 3,500 women per month are normally seen by the service and it is estimated that approximately 10,000 women would have been affected by the suspension of the service.

Breast Cancer: Greater London

Lynne Featherstone: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many breast screening appointments were  (a) made and  (b) cancelled other than by the patient in each London primary care trust in each calendar year since 2000.

Rosie Winterton: This information is not held centrally.

Breast Cancer: Screening

Anne Milton: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many women aged between 50 and 70 years are required to wait more than three years between breast cancer screenings in  (a) Surrey Primary Care Trust and  (b) England; what estimate her Department has made of the attendance take-up rate of women aged between 50 and 70 years attending breast cancer screenings in each area; and if she will make a statement.

Rosie Winterton: Surrey Primary Care Trust is covered by the breast screening unit based at the Jarvis Centre, Guildford. According to figures from January to March 2006, the average interval between screens for women at the Jarvis Centre was 33 months, and 92 per cent. of women were screened within 36 months of their previous screen. In England the average interval between screens for the same period was 36 months, with 68 per cent. of women being screened within 36 months of their previous screen.
	We take the issue of the 36-month standard between screens very seriously. That is why Professor Mike Richards, the National Cancer Director, wrote to the chief executives of all 10 strategic health authorities in England on 9 February 2007 highlighting the importance of maintaining the 36-month interval.

Burton Independent Sector Treatment Centre

Charlotte Atkins: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment the Health Care Commission has made of  (a) the quality of care delivered at Burton Independent Sector Treatment Centre and  (b) the level of patient satisfaction with the delivery of care.

Andy Burnham: As the independent inspection body for both the national health service and independent healthcare, the Healthcare Commission (HCC) is not part of the Department. Therefore, the information requested is not held centrally. However, information on the reviews of services undertaken by the HCC are available on their website at: www.healthcare commission.org.uk
	All Independent Sector providers, including the Midlands Treatment Centre located in Burton, are required to achieve HCC approval before services are commenced and to meet subsequent reviews. We can confirm that the Midlands Treatment Centre did receive HCC approval for the start of services in July 2006.

Burton Independent Sector Treatment Centre

Charlotte Atkins: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  what the targeted case volume is for Burton Independent Sector Treatment Centre; and what proportion of that volume was achieved in each year since it was set up;
	(2)  what operating and medical procedures Burton Independent Sector Treatment Centre undertakes; and whether these differ from those carried out in its first two years.

Andy Burnham: The Midlands National Health Service Treatment Centre, situated in Burton, opened in July 2006. The case mix at the treatment centre continues to include ENT (ears nose and throat), general surgery, gynaecology, OMFS (face/jaw), ophthalmology, pain relief, plastics, rheumatology, trauma and orthopaedics and urology.
	The Department measures independent sector treatment centre contract performance on the basis of value rather than activity. This is to allow for the variations, which can occur through substitution of activity between procedures of varying value.

Burton Independent Sector Treatment Centre

Charlotte Atkins: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what impact the Burton Independent Sector Treatment Centre has had on  (a) capacity and  (b) waiting times in Staffordshire hospitals in each year since it was established.

Andy Burnham: The Midlands Treatment Centre, located in Burton, has been able to provide additional surgical capacity in the Staffordshire area while offering patients a wider choice of provider for their treatment.
	It is also believed that the facility has helped local national health service hospitals in achieving their maximum waiting time targets. As at January 2007, no patients in the Stoke on Trent, North Staffordshire and the South Staffordshire primary care trusts were waiting in excess of 26 weeks for inpatient treatment or 13 weeks for an outpatient appointment.

Burton Independent Sector Treatment Centre

Charlotte Atkins: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  what role Burton Independent Sector Treatment Centre has in training medical staff;
	(2)  what staff the Burton Independent Sector Treatment Centre employs; and from where they were recruited.

Andy Burnham: The Midlands National Health Service Treatment Centre, situated in Burton, provides training and supervision to its medical staff. The training includes continuing professional development, infection control, equipment and information management and technology.
	Junior doctors work in the treatment centre alongside consultants as part of their training programme. The consultants remain responsible for clinical care and the training delivered as required. The agreement is that the direction and management of training of clinical trainees largely replicates current NHS training processes.
	The treatment centre employs 179 staff (headcount), the majority of which were recruited from the United Kingdom.

Cancer

Tony Wright: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what research is sponsored by her Department to assess the effectiveness of dichloroacetate in attacking cancer cells.

Caroline Flint: None. The Medical Research Council (MRC), one of the main agencies through which the Government supports medical and clinical research, is currently funding a broad portfolio of cancer research, including early stage trials and basic and underpinning research. The MRC has not received or considered any proposals to assess the effectiveness of dichloroacetate in attacking cancer cells. The Council always welcomes high quality applications for support in any aspect of biomedical research and these are judged in open competition with other demands on funding.

Cancer

Laurence Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many people diagnosed with cancer there were in  (a) England and Wales and  (b) Gloucestershire, broken down by type of cancer in each of the last five years for which figures are available.

John Healey: I have been asked to reply.
	The information requested falls within the responsibility of the National Statistician, who has been asked to reply.
	 Letter from Karen Dunnell, dated 16 April 2007:
	As National Statistician, I have been asked to reply to your recent Parliamentary Question asking how many people diagnosed with cancer there were in (a) England and Wales and (b) Gloucestershire, broken down by type of cancer in each of the last five years for which figures are available.
	The latest available figures for newly diagnosed cases (incidence) of cancer in England are for the years 2004. Figures for 2000-2004 for (a) England and Wales and (b) the county of Gloucestershire are given in Table 1 below. Table 1 provides data for 'all cancers excluding non-melanoma skin cancer' and the four most common cancersbreast, colorectal, lung, and prostatewhich accounted for more than half of new cases of malignant cancer (excluding non-melanoma skin cancer) registered in England and Wales in 2004.
	
		
			  Table 1: Registrations of newly-diagnosed cases of cancer: by selected cancer( 1) , sex and region, 2000-04 
			   2000  2001  2002  2003  2004 
			  Males  
			  England and Wales  
			 All cancers xnmsc 122,046 124,103 123,225 123,917 126,539 
			 Prostate 24,737 27,796 28,591 28,812 31,676 
			 Lung 20,312 19,820 19,220 18,786 19,403 
			 Colorectal 16,670 16,191 16,273 16,634 17,231 
			   
			  Gloucestershire  
			 All cancers xnmsc 1,842 2,005 1,783 1,856 2,201 
			 Prostate 309 354 301 324 373 
			 Lung 176 189 146 151 147 
			 Colorectal 189 191 161 198 212 
			   
			  Females  
			  England and Wales  
			 All cancers xnmsc 122,127 122,877 121,542 125,134 123,883 
			 Breast 35,978 36,493 36,670 38,901 39,308 
			 Colorectal 14,248 13,955 13,926 13,894 14,361 
			 Lung 12,882 12,768 12,687 13,042 13,269 
			   
			  Gloucestershire  
			 All cancers xnmsc 1,921 1,865 1,778 1,907 2,429 
			 Breast 435 467 443 526 471 
			 Colorectal 176 154 154 154 163 
			 Lung 127 110 106 134 93 
			 (1) Cancers are coded to the International Classification of Diseases (Tenth Revision): Colorectal C18-21, Lung C33-34, Breast C50, Prostate C61, All cancers excluding non-melanoma skin cancer C00-97 xC44.  Source: Office for National Statistics

Cancer: Urinary System

David Clelland: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  what assessment she has made of the progress of cancer networks in implementing the Improving Outcomes guidance for urological cancers;
	(2)  what mechanisms she has put in place to ensure that service providers commissioned by her Department are meeting the Improving Outcomes guidance for urological cancers in relation to  (a) multi-disciplinary team working and  (a) access to specialist nurses.

Rosie Winterton: Strategic health authorities were asked to submit action plans to demonstrate how they will implement the guidance on Improving Outcomes in urological cancers. Progress against these action plans is monitored by the Department and the Healthcare Commission. The majority of cancer networks reported at December 2006 that the guidance would be fully implemented by December 2007.
	The guidance has also been translated into a series of measures for inclusion in the Manual of Cancer Services 2004. All cancer networks in England have now been peer reviewed against these measures, which include measures about urological cancer multi-disciplinary teams including urology nurse specialists. Reports of the local peer review visits for each cancer network can be found on the Cancer Quality Improvement Network System (CQuINS) database at www.cquins.nhs.uk. A national summary will also be produced and is expected to be available in the summer.

Care Homes

Greg Mulholland: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many people in the UK aged 75 years or over are living in  (a) public sector residential care homes and  (b) private sector residential care homes.

Rosie Winterton: holding answer 27 March 2007
	The information requested is not collected centrally.

Care Homes

Nicholas Clegg: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many approved care homes for the  (a) elderly and  (b) other vulnerable people there are in England.

Andy Burnham: The Commission for Social Care Inspection (CSCI), as the official regulator of social care provision, registers and inspects all care homes in England. It is important to note that care homes are not approved by CSCI. Registration with and inspection by CSCI simply signifies that a home is permitted to operate.
	I am informed by the chair of CSCI that care homes are not registered as homes for older people (those aged over 65) or for younger adults (those aged 18-64). Many take in a mix of client groups. The following table shows the number of homes in England which have been regulated by CSCI against the national minimum standards (NMS) for care homes for older people and the NMS for care homes for younger adults.
	
		
			   Number 
			 Total number of homes (1)18,718 
			 Care homes regulated against NMS for care homes for older people 10,671 
			 Care homes regulated against NMS for care homes for younger adults 7,428 
			 (1) This total is greater than the sum of the two categories of home due to the fact that some homes (such as new homes) had not been regulated against the NMS by 1 April 2006.  Source: CSCI report The State of Social Care in England2005-06. Figures at 31 March 2006

Care Homes: Fees and Charges

Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for Health why Torbay Primary Care Trust (PCT) reimbursed care home fees to Mr. Mike Pearce; what precedent has been set by the PCT's decision; what estimate she has made of the liabilities of the NHS for future repayments of denied continuing care funding; what framework Torbay used to re-assess the case; and what the total NHS expenditure was in England in 2005-06 on  (a) care homes and  (b) care home places for those with Alzheimer's disease.

Caroline Flint: Following the Health Service Ombudsman's report NHS Funding for Long Term Care of Older and Disabled People, the national health service has carried out retrospective reviews of over 12,000 cases where fully funded NHS care was denied, dating back to 1996. The case of Mr. Pearce's mother was one of these retrospective reviews of her eligibility for continuing care. This retrospective review found that Mrs. Pearce was wrongly denied NHS funding for her care, and so Torbay Care Trust reimbursed care home fees for the period of time when they considered they should have been paying for her care.
	The care trust will continue to take the same approach to any other retrospective reviews they have to conduct, but no national precedent has been set.
	In 2004, primary care trusts (PCTs) estimated that they would pay approximately 180 million in repayment as a consequence of the retrospective reviews of cases following the Ombudsman's report.
	Torbay Care Trust used the strategic health authority's (SHA) eligibility criteria, which have been reviewed in accordance with guidance issued by the Department since the Coughlan and Grogan judgments. In their consideration of Mrs. Pearce's case, they used the draft decision support tool, published as part of the Department's consultation in 2006 , to help them gather information about Mrs. Pearce's needs. This information was then tested against the criteria already in place in the SHA.
	Further clarification for PCTs about redress, in cases where it has been found that NHS funding was wrongly withheld, was contained in guidance published by the Department in response to the publication of the joint report by the Parliamentary Commissioner for Administration (Parliamentary Ombudsman) and the Health Service Ombudsman for England, Retrospective continuing care funding and redress, on 14 March 2007.
	The information requested on NHS expenditure on care home and care home places is not held centrally.

Care Homes: Manpower

Laurence Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what regulations determine the ratio of nursing staff to patients in  (a) nursing and  (b) residential homes; what those ratios are; and if she will make a statement.

Rosie Winterton: Regulation 18 of the Care Homes Regulations 2001, which apply to both nursing and residential homes, requires that the registered person shall, having regard to the size of the care home, the statement of purpose and the number and needs of service users, ensure that at all times suitably qualified, competent and experienced persons are working in the care home in such numbers as are appropriate for the health and welfare of service users.
	Specific ratios are not laid down, either in the Regulations or the national minimum standards, which the regulator, the Commission for Social Care Inspection, must have regard to when inspecting care homes to establish compliance with the regulations.
	Staffing ratios must be determined according to service users' health and care needs; these may vary from home to home and from day to day. It is a provider's obligation in law to ensure that their establishment is appropriately staffed on a day to day basis.

Carers: Peterborough

Stewart Jackson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  what proportion of the funding made available to local authorities for respite care for carers in the recent New Deal for Carers statement will be allocated to Peterborough City Council; and if she will make a statement;
	(2)  what estimate she has made of the number of carers in the Peterborough City Council area for the purposes of the allocation of funding to assist with respite care are under the New Deal for Carers.

Tony Baldry: To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to her written statement of 21 February 2007,  Official Report, column 49WS, on the New Deal for Carers, how much of the additional 25 million available to local authorities in England for the provision of short term home-based respite care she expects to be allocated to Oxfordshire County Council.

Andy Burnham: There were 670 carers who received an assessment or a review in Peterborough council during the year 2005-06, of which 200 carers received a break and or carers specific services.
	In 2007-08 Peterborough city council will receive 1.959 million for carers, of which 233,000 will support the provision of emergency respite care.
	During the same period Oxfordshire county council will receive 0.686 million for carers, of which 82,000 will support the provision of emergency respite care.
	A table detailing the amounts each council will be allocated has been placed in the Library.

Cataracts: Surgery

Anne McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the average waiting time was for cataract operations in  (a) North Yorkshire,  (b) County Durham and  (c) England in the latest period for which figures are available; and how many cataract operations were cancelled and re-arranged following an initial date for the operation being given in the same period.

Rosie Winterton: The average waiting times for cataract operations in the former strategic health authorities for County Durham and Tees Valley and North and East Yorkshire and Northern Lincolnshire in 2005-06 are given in the following table.
	
		
			  Strategic health authority  Median time waited (days) 
			 County Durham and Tees Valley 62 
			 North and East Yorkshire and Northern Lincolnshire 75 
			 England 69 
			  Notes: 1. Data are for finished admission episodes, i.e. the first period of in-patient care under one consultant with one Healthcare provider. 2. Time waited is the difference between the admission and decision to admit dates.  Source:  Hospital Episodes Statistics (HES), The Information Centre for health and social care. 
		
	
	The Department does not collect data on numbers of cancelled operations for individual procedures such as cataract operations.

Bowel Cancer Screening

John Baron: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  how many  (a) newly trained non-medical endoscopists and  (b) medical endoscopists were delivered by the national endoscopy training programme in each year since its creation;
	(2)  what estimate she has made of the number of additional endoscopists required to support a fully-implemented national bowel cancer screening programme.

Rosie Winterton: holding answer 23 March 2007
	Training in endoscopy (bowel scoping) is vital to the diagnosis of bowel cancer. To prepare for the bowel cancer screening programme, we have built on the training established as part of the national health service cancer plan. A national training programme has been established, with three national and seven regional centres, to train medical staff, general practitioners, nurses and other health professionals to carry out vital procedures for diagnosing bowel cancer. The options appraisal analysis for the introduction of the bowel cancer screening programme estimated that an additional 61,274 endoscopies would be required equating to 14 additional endoscopy units staffed by four trained nurse endoscopists and 1.4 whole-time equivalent gastroenterologists. It is for cancer networks to work in partnership with strategic health authorities and postgraduate deaneries to put in place a sustainable process to assess, plan and review their workforce needs and the education and training of all staff linked to local and national priorities for cancer.
	Based on current trends and definitions the training programme is projected to deliver the following training courses by the end of 2006-07.
	
		
			  National endoscopy training programme courses 
			   2004-05  2005-06  2006-07  Total 
			 Medical endoscopists 494 249 618 1,361 
			 Non medical endoscopists 60 61 26 147 
			 Total 554 310 644 1,508

Bowel Cancer Screening

John Baron: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  further to her Department's press release on the bowel cancer screening programme of 2 August 2005, how the figure of 37.5 million of expenditure will be broken down over the first two years of the programme's implementation;
	(2)  pursuant to the answer of 23 March 2007,  Official Report, column 1190W, on bowel cancer screening, what funding earmarked for the programme has been included in the Strategic Health Authority bundle for 2007-08.

Rosie Winterton: holding answer 29 March 2007
	 Funding for the national health service bowel cancer screening programme is included in the strategic health authority (SHA) bundle, that incorporates a number of budgets formally managed directly by the Department.
	Around 10 million was made available for wave one of the programme in 2006-07. The value of the SHA bundle for 2007-08 is 6,945.78 million, and was announced in the NHS operating framework that was published on 11 December 2006 to the NHS. 27.5 million was included in the SHA bundle for the bowel screening programme. Allocations are made direct to SHAs, and they manage the distribution of funds among the different programmes, including the bowel cancer screening programme, taking account of local circumstances.
	This is an ambitious project and the Government are committed to ensuring that the necessary funding is available to ensure the full implementation of the bowel cancer screening programme.

Bowel Cancer Screening

John Baron: To ask the Secretary of State for Health further to her Department's press release on the bowel cancer screening programme of 2 August 2005, what steps she will take to assess whether the target for 25 per cent. coverage of England by the end of 2006-07 has been met; and what estimate she has made of the proportion of England currently covered by the programme.

Rosie Winterton: holding answer 29 March 2007
	 We started the roll-out of the programme slightly later than originally intended. However, we took all the practical steps possible to prepare for the roll-out and to minimise the delay. All five programme hubs in England are now operational, and 15 of the eventual 90 to 100 local screening centres opened in 2006-07. These cover 49 out of 152 primary care trusts in England, covering a population of 13 million, around 26 per cent. of the English population. It is for strategic health authorities working in partnership with their primary care trusts and local stakeholders to organise and deliver services for their local populations. We expect around half of the local screening centres to be operational by March 2008, with full overage in England by December 2009.
	The bowel cancer screening programme is an ambitious project, and one of the first of its kind in Europe. When fully implemented, it will screen around 2 million men and women and detect around 3,000 bowel cancers every year. We are committed to implementing this important programme.

Bowel Cancer Screening

Ian Gibson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if her Department will extend the national bowel cancer screening programme to those aged  (a) 70 and over and  (b) between 50 and 60.

Rosie Winterton: The bowel cancer screening programme is beginning by inviting men and women aged 60 to 69 to be screened as the risk of bowel cancer increases with age, with over 80 per cent. of bowel cancers arising in people who are 60 or over.
	The successful national health service pilot study also showed that men and women in their 60s were more likely to take up their invitations for screening than men and women in their 50s.
	Within the programme, men and women aged 70 and over are able to self-refer for screening every two years.
	When we have rolled out the programme to the whole of England, we will make an assessment of whatever next steps may be required, including looking at the age range.

Colorectal Cancer: Surgery

Denis MacShane: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many rectal cancer operations were carried out by the NHS in each of the last three years; and what the cost of such operations was in each year.

Rosie Winterton: Information on the number of operations relating to rectal and colon cancer in the last three years for which figures are available, is shown in the following table.
	Information on the cost of these operations is not available.
	
		
			  Count of finished consultant episodes (FCEs) with an operation and with a primary diagnosis of colon and rectum insitu and secondary neoplasms between 2003-04 and 2005-06 
			   FCEs 
			 2003-04 130,451 
			 2004-05 129,357 
			 2005-06 136,979 
			  Notes: 1. Diagnosis (primary diagnosis): The primary diagnosis is the first of up to 14 (seven prior to 2002-03) diagnosis fields in the Hospital Episode Statistics (HES) data set and provides the main reason why the patient was in hospital. 2. Finished consultant episode (FCE): An FCE is defined as a period of admitted patient care under one consultant within one health care provider. Please note that the figures do not represent the number of patients, as a person may have more than one episode of care within the year. 3. Ungrossed data: Figures have not been adjusted for shortfalls in data (i.e. the data are ungrossed). 4. Main operation: The main operation is the first recorded operation in the HES data set and is usually the most resource intensive procedure performed during the episode. It is appropriate to use main operation when looking at admission details, e.g. time waited, but the figures for all operations count of episodes give a more complete count of episodes with an operation.  Source: (HES) The Information Centre for health and social care. 
		
	
	The following ICD-10 diagnosis codes were used to look for procedures in the primary procedure field:
	C18 Malignant neoplasm of colon
	C18.0 Caecum
	C18.1 Appendix
	C18.2 Ascending colon
	C18.3 Hepatic flexure
	C18.4 Transverse colon
	C18.5 Splenic flexure
	C18.6 Descending colon
	C18.7 Sigmoid colon
	C18.8 Overlapping lesion of colon
	C18.9 Colon, unspecified
	C19 Malignant neoplasm of rectosigmoid junction
	C20 Malignant neoplasm of rectum
	C21 Malignant neoplasm of anus and anal canal
	C21.0 Anus, unspecified
	C21.1 Anal canal
	C21.2 Cloacogenic zone
	C21.8 Overlapping lesion of rectum, anus and anal canal
	The following ICD-10 codes relate to only the rectum
	C19 Malignant neoplasm of rectosigmoid junction
	C20 Malignant neoplasm of rectum
	C21.8 Overlapping lesion of rectum, anus and anal canal
	 Secondary neoplasms
	C75.5 Secondary malignant neoplasm of large intestine and rectum
	 Insitu neoplasms
	D01 Carcinoma in situ of other and unspecified digestive organs
	D01.0 Colon
	D01.1 Rectosigmoid junction
	D01.2 Rectum
	D01.3 Anus and anal canal

Community Care: Expenditure

David Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much  (a) local authorities and  (b) primary care trusts spent on social care for people in (i) their own homes and (ii) care homes in each of the last five years.

Rosie Winterton: The following two tables provide information on the gross current expenditure from councils with social services responsibilities (CSSRs) for residential care, home care and other community-based services for both adults and children in England for the years 2001-02 to 2005-06. Expenditure data on social care by primary care trusts are not centrally available.
	
		
			  Gross current expenditure on residential care, home care and other community-based services for adults, England 2001-02 to 2005-06 
			  000 
			   Residential care( 1)  Home care  Other community-based services 
			 2001-02 5,393,700 1,690,900 1,593,400 
			 2002-03 6,314,400 1,795,800 1,690,000 
			 2003-04 6,313,900 1,982,100 1,847,500 
			 2004-05 6,740,100 2,220,000 2,048,400 
			 2005-06 7,042,900 2,486,400 2,258,600 
			  Note: From 2002-03 onwards the data on adults includes clients that transferred to CSSR support on 8 April 2002 who were formerly in receipt of higher rates of income support under the DWP preserved rights (PR) scheme.  Source: PSS EX1, Information Centre. 
		
	
	
		
			  Gross current expenditure on residential care, home care and other community-based services for children, England 2001-02 to 2005-06 
			  000 
			   Residential care  Home care  Other community-based services 
			 2001-02 815,200 21,100 1,469,100 
			 2002-03 879,400 24,500 1,690,200 
			 2003-04 982,400 27,300 1,944,200 
			 2004-05 1,063,900 31,200 2,190,600 
			 2005-06 1,103,600 32,700 2,366,700

Dental Services: West Sussex

Nick Herbert: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many NHS dentists there were in  (a) Arundel and South Downs constituency and  (b) West Sussex in (i) 1997 and (ii) each of the last three years for which figures are available.

Rosie Winterton: Table 1 shows information on the number of national health service dentists as at 31 March 1997 and 2004 to 2006 for the areas requested, based on the old contractual arrangements.
	The latest workforce information, as at 30 June, 30 September and 31 December 2006, is based on the new contractual arrangements, introduced on 1 April 2006, and is available at primary care trust (PCT), strategic health authority (SHA) and England level. This information is provided in Table 2. To provide these data at constituency level would incur disproportionate cost. Data based on the old contractual arrangements are not directly comparable to those under the new contractual arrangements.
	Information is taken from the following reports:
	NHS Dental Activity and Workforce Report, England: 31 March 2006
	NHS Dental Statistics for England Quarter 3, 31 December 2006.
	Both reports are available in the Library.
	
		
			  Table 1: General dental services (GDS) and personal dental services (PDS): Numbers of NHS dentists in the specified constituency and PCTs as at 31 March each year 
			   1997  2004  2005  2006 
			 Arundel and South Downs constituency 29 23 23 22 
			  
			 Adur, Arun and Worthing PCT 90 120 138 154 
			 Crawley PCT 48 65 83 99 
			 Horsham and Chanctonbury PCT 51 69 72 69 
			 Mid-Sussex PCT 67 110 118 129 
			 Western Sussex PCT 67 88 95 98 
			  Notes: 1. Dentists consist of principals, assistants and trainees. Information on NHS dentistry in the community dental service, in hospitals and in prisons is excluded. 2. A dentist can provide as little or as much NHS treatment as he or she chooses or has agreed within the contract. In some cases an NHS dentist may be listed to carry out NHS work but may not do so for a given period. 3. Information is based on NHS dentists on PCT lists from the BSA.  4. PCT boundaries are as at 30 September 2006. 5. The PCTs listed are those that now form West Sussex PCT as a result of the 1 October 2006 PCT boundary changes. 6. Constituency boundaries may have changed over time therefore these data may not be directly comparable.  Source: The Information Centre for health and social care. NHS Business Services Authority (BSA). 
		
	
	
		
			  Table 2: Numbers of NHS dentists (performers) in the specified PCTs as at 30 June, 30 September and 31 December 2006 
			   2006 
			   30 June  30 September  31 December 
			 West Sussex PCT 477 478 474 
			  Notes: 1. A performer is defined as a dentist who has been set up on the BSA payments online (POL) system by the PCT to work under an open contract during the relevant time period. 2. Data provided are a count of the individuals listed as performers on open contracts within a PCT, including orthodontists. 3. A dentist can provide as little or as much NHS treatment as he or she chooses or has agreed within the contract. In some cases an NHS dentist may be listed to carry out NHS work but may not do so for a given period. 4. Data consists of performers in general dental services (GDS), personal dental services (PDS) and trust-led dental services. 5. PCT boundaries are as at 1 October 2006. 6. The PCTs listed are those that now form West Sussex PCT as a result of the 1 October 2006 PCT boundary changes. 7. Dentists will be counted more than once if they have contracts in more than one PCT.  Source : The Information Centre for health and social care. NHS Business Services Authority.

Dental Services: West Sussex

Nick Herbert: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many  (a) adults and  (b) children were registered with an NHS dentist in (i) the Arundel and South Downs constituency and (ii) West Sussex in (A) 1997 and (B) each of the last three years for which figures are available.

Rosie Winterton: Table 1 shows information on the number of adult and child patients registered with a national health service dentist for the areas requested as at 31 March 1997 and 2004 to 2006, based on the old contractual arrangements and under the PCT boundaries as at 30 September 2006.
	Under the new dental contractual arrangements, introduced on 1 April 2006, registration data are no longer collected centrally. Instead, there is a new measure on patients seen within the previous 24 months. The latest information on total numbers of patients seen within the previous 24 months is provided in table 2. Information in table 2 is under the primary care trust (PCT) boundaries as at 1 October 2006. To provide these data at constituency level would incur disproportionate cost.
	Information is taken from the following reports:
	NHS Dental Activity and Workforce Report, England: 31 March 2006
	NHS Dental Statistics for England Quarter 3, 31 December 2006.
	Both reports are available in the Library.
	
		
			  Tab le 1: General dental services (G DS) and personal dental services (PDS): Numbers of adult and child patients registered with an NHS dentist in the specified constituency and PCTs as at 31 March each year 
			   1997  2004  2005  2006 
			   Adults  Children  Adults  Children  Adults  Children  Adults  Children 
			 Arundel and South Downs constituency 26,321 9,942 17,133 8,665 16,308 8,076 16,195 7,948 
			 Adur, Arun and Worthing PCT 95,517 29,767 72,816 31,742 71,529 31,386 76,564 32,367 
			 Crawley PCT 25,746 14,778 21,873 15,155 20,951 14,168 28,534 16,908 
			 Horsham and Chanctonbury PCT 47,142 18,635 33,141 16,915 34,486 16,953 37,429 17,847 
			 Mid-Sussex PCT 56,444 22,810 48,105 24,542 45,742 23,779 47,790 23,677 
			 Western Sussex PCT 72,279 23,186 71,900 27,057 68,379 25,854 63,639 24,716 
			  Notes: 1. Child patient registrations are aged 0 to 17 and adults are aged 18 and over. 2. PCT boundaries are as at 30 September 2006. 3. The PCTs listed are those that now form West Sussex PCT as a result of the 1 October 2006 PCT boundary changes. 4. Constituency boundaries may have changed over time therefore these data may not be directly comparable.  Source: The Information Centre for health and social care. NHS Business Services Authority. 
		
	
	
		
			  Table 2: Number of patients seen in the previous 24 months ending 30 June, 30 September and 31 December 2006 in the specified PCT 
			   30 June 2006  30 September 2006  31 December 2006 
			   Adult  Child  Adult  Child  Adult  Child 
			 West Sussex PCT 292,188 126,918 290,952 126,826 290,443 126,953 
			  Notes: 1. PCT boundaries are as at 1 October 2006. 2. Patients have been identified by using surname, first initial, gender and date of birth. 3. The age of the patient as at the last day of the 24 month period is used to allocate between adult or child in the most recent form processed. 4. Child patient registrations are aged 0-17 and adults are aged 18 and over.  Source: The Information Centre for health and social care. NHS Business Services Authority.

Departmental Contracts

David Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many contracts her Department has with  (a) Alliance Medical,  (b) Amicus Healthcare,  (c) BUPA Healthcare,  (d) Capio Healthcare,  (e) Clincienta,  (f) Mercury Health,  (g) Nations Healthcare,  (h) Netcare Healthcare,  (i) Nuffield Hospitals,  (j) Partnership Health Group and  (k) UKSH; what the purpose of the contract is in each case; how long each contract is for; and how much she estimates will have been paid in total via these contracts in 2006-07.

Andy Burnham: Contracts for the independent sector and the purpose of each is shown in the following table. Contracts are generally for five years.
	
		
			  Provider  Contract 
			 Capio One contract to provide Independent Sector Treatment Centre (ISTC) services 
			 Alliance Medical One contract to provide mobile MRI services 
			 Amicus Healthcare None 
			 Bupa Healthcare A provider through the Independent Sector Extended Choice Network (IS ECN)1 
			 Mercury Health One contract to provide ISTCs services one contract for diagnostic services. 
			 Nations Healthcare Two contracts to provide ISTC services 
			 Netcare Healthcare Two contracts to provide NHS Walk In Centres with a commuter focus one contract to provide ISTC services one contract to provide mobile ophthalmic services 
			 Nuffield Hospitals A provider through the Independent Sector Extended Choice Network (IS ECN)(1) 
			 Partnership Health Group Four contracts to provide ISTC services 
			 UKSH One contract to provide ISTC services 
			 (1 )IS ECN providers are members of a framework and are paid on a per procedure basis and do not have five year contracts. 
		
	
	Financial information on individual contracts is commercially sensitive, the total value paid on all the ISTC programme contracts in 2006-07 is 216 million.

Departments: Work Permits

Nicholas Clegg: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many work permits were applied for by  (a) her Department and  (b) its agencies in each of the last five years.

Caroline Flint: The Department applied for one work permit, in 2005.
	The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency, an executive agency of the Department, applied for two work permits in the last five years one in 2003 and one in 2006.
	NHS Purchasing and Supply Agency, an executive agency of the Department, applied for a total of two work permitsone applied for in 2003 and one in 2007.

Diabetes: Screening

Mark Lancaster: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many registered diabetics had access to blood testing strips for home testing in each year since 1997.

Rosie Winterton: Data are not collected on the numbers of registered people with diabetes who have access to blood testing strips.
	The following table shows the number of blood glucose monitoring strips dispensed in England from 1997 to 2006(1).
	
		
			   Items 
			 1997 1,971,463 
			 1998 2,438,640 
			 1999 2,857,441 
			 2000 3,372,897 
			 2001 3,987,930 
			 2002 4,702,845 
			 2003 5,077,542 
			 2004 5,330,313 
			 2005 5,553,611 
			 2006(1) 4,263,166 
			 (1) 2006figures are for the first nine months only 
		
	
	 PCA Data
	Prescription information is taken from the Prescription Cost Analysis (PCA) system, supplied by the Prescription Pricing Authority (PPA), and is based on a full analysis of all prescriptions dispensed in the community i.e. by community pharmacists and appliance contractors, dispensing doctors, and prescriptions submitted by prescribing doctors for items personally administered in England. Also included are prescriptions written in Wales, Scotland, Northern Ireland and the Isle of Man but dispensed in England. The data do not cover drugs dispensed in hospitals, including mental health trusts, or private prescriptions.
	 Prescription Items
	Prescriptions are written on a prescription form. Each single item written on the form is counted as a prescription item. A person with diabetes may get more than one prescription item each year.

Drugs: Internet

Greg Knight: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment she has made of the availability of  (a) phentermine,  (b) diethylpropiom,  (c) reductil and  (d) orlistat from internet suppliers; what mechanisms are in place to promote appropriate medical supervision for those obtaining and using drugs through the internet; and if she will make a statement.

Caroline Flint: The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency routinely monitors medicines being offered for sale on the Internet and is concerned about the increase in the online availability of medicines, including slimming pills.
	In the United Kingdom (UK), there are strict legal controls on the retail sale, supply and advertisement of medicinal products. These controls apply without distinction to medicines sold or supplied through Internet transactions and mail order.
	Slimming drugs are, generally speaking, classified as prescription only medicines (POM) and are available only after a consultation with a healthcare practitioner. Products purchased from Internet sites cannot be guaranteed for their quality, safety and efficacy, nor can their effects on patients be monitored. For these reasons, the supply of POMs is strictly controlled in the UK and breaches in regulatory requirements are investigated.
	Additionally, specific information relating to slimming products and other medicines considered to be at risk of counterfeiting are circulated to stakeholders in order to increase vigilance through more focused surveillance and inspections.
	Mechanisms for promoting suitable medical supervision, however, are matters of professional practice and are not covered by medicines legislation.

Drugs: Licensing

Humfrey Malins: To ask the Secretary of State for Health when she expects the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence to publish a technical appraisal on naltrexore as a treatment for relapse prevention; and if she will make a statement.

Caroline Flint: holding answer 27 March 2007
	The National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE), published a technical appraisal on naltrexone as a treatment for relapse prevention on 24 January 2007.
	The National Treatment Agency (NTA) is supporting the Department in developing an implementation strategy for the dissemination of the NICE technology appraisal on naltrexone and their other current work relating to drug treatment. This strategy will seek to ensure that complementary initiatives undertaken by NICE and the NTA are disseminated in a coherent and co-ordinated way to inform the commissioners and providers of drug treatment.

Drugs: Side Effects

Joan Humble: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  what assessment she has made of the effectiveness of the Yellow Card system for reporting adverse reactions to drugs; how many incidents were reported in each of the past three years; what estimate she has made of the level of under-reporting in each of the last three years; and what steps she is taking to improve matters;
	(2)  what assessment she has made of the merits of introducing a requirement for doctors to report adverse reactions to  (a) licensed and  (b) unlicensed drugs;
	(3)  what assessment she has made of the merits of extending the remit of the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency in order to allow it to monitor adverse reactions to unlicensed drugs.

Caroline Flint: The Yellow Card Scheme is used to collect reports of suspected adverse drug reactions (ADRs) associated with any marketed medicinal product, including those available on prescription or purchased from a pharmacy, or a general retail outlet. The scheme encompasses unlicensed as well as licensed products, including herbal products.
	The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) and Commission for Human Medicines (CHM) are continually working to increase the quality and quantity of reports received via the Yellow Card Scheme.
	The following table shows the number of reports received in the past three years.
	
		
			   Number of reports 
			 2006 23,992 
			 2005 22,127 
			 2004 20,037 
		
	
	In 2003, an independent review of the Yellow Card Scheme strongly endorsed the value and importance of the Scheme for public health and the benefit of patients. The MHRA is currently developing a strategy in consultation with the CHM to build on these recommendations in order to further strengthen reporting to the Yellow Card Scheme.
	It is recognised that voluntary spontaneous reporting systems such as the Yellow Card Scheme are associated with an unknown level of under-reporting. It has been estimated that 10 per cent. of serious ADRs and between 2 and 4 per cent. of non-serious ADRs are reported and that serious reactions are five times more likely to be reported than non-serious reactions.
	The value of introducing mandatory reporting of suspected ADRs by healthcare professionals has been considered on several occasions, most recently during the independent review of the Yellow Card Scheme. Available evidence indicates that there is no clear increase in rates of reporting in countries with mandatory reporting when compared with those where reporting is voluntary. Furthermore there would be practical difficulties in enforcing mandatory reporting. The Independent Review did not recommend a mandatory system for suspected ADR reporting in the United Kingdom.

Drugs: Testing

Andrew Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health when the Criminal Investigation Unit of the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency first began investigating the withholding of data from clinical trials of paroxetine; when she expects the Criminal Investigation Unit to take a decision on whether to refer the case to the police; whether she has the ultimate authority to decide whether a matter under investigation by the Criminal Investigation Unit is referred to the police; and if she will make a statement.

Caroline Flint: The criminal investigation into whether GlaxoSmithKline PLC withheld from the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) information from paediatric clinical trials of their drug Seroxat (the United Kingdom brand name for paroxetine) was commenced by the Enforcement and Intelligence Group of the MHRA on 1 October 2003.The investigation is ongoing.
	Criminal investigations into alleged breaches of medicines regulations are the statutory responsibility of the Secretary of State and are carried out by authorised officers in the Enforcement and Intelligence Group at MHRA.

Essex Rivers Healthcare Trust

Bernard Jenkin: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many  (a) hospital nurses,  (b) junior hospital doctors and  (c) other nurses were employed in the Essex Rivers Healthcare Trust in (i) 2005-06 and (ii) 2006-07.

Rosie Winterton: holding answer 23 March 2007
	The information is not collected centrally in the form requested. However, the following table shows doctors in training alongside nursing, midwifery and health visiting staff figures as at 30 September 2005.
	
		
			  Hospital and Community Health Services (HCHS): Doctors in training and nursing, midwifery and health visiting staff within Essex Rivers Healthcare National Health Service Trust 
			  Essex Rivers Healthcare NHS Trust  as  at 30 September 2005  Number (headcount) 
			 All medical and dental staff 330 
			  Of which:  
			 Doctors in training 170 
			 All Nursing staff 1,531 
			  Of which:  
			 Qualified nurses 1,100 
			  Sources: The Information Centre for health and social care medical and dental workforce census. The Information Centre for health and social care non-medical workforce census.

General Practitioners: East Sussex

Nigel Waterson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  how many GPs in  (a) Eastbourne and  (b) East Sussex have opted out of working overtime;
	(2)  how many GPs in  (a) Eastbourne and  (b) East Sussex (i) do and (ii) do not work on an out-of-office hours contract.

Andy Burnham: The information requested is not collected centrally.

General Practitioners: Standards

Philip Hollobone: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what targets for productivity improvement from GP practices she has set for the next three years.

Andy Burnham: As part of the General Medical Services contract for 2006-07, the BMA and NHS Employers (on behalf of the Department) agreed that primary medical care contractors should be subject to the same level of efficiency improvement placed on other parts of the national health service. This remains our expectation.

Gynaecology

Sandra Gidley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what percentage of patients referred to hospital with fibroid-related dysfunctional uterine bleeding (menorrhagia) underwent  (a) myomectomy and  (b) uterine artery embolisation as an alternative to hysterectomy in each of the last five years, broken down by strategic health authority.

Caroline Flint: This information cannot be provided in the format requested.

Gynaecology

Sandra Gidley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many patients were referred to hospital with dysfunctional uterine bleeding (menorrhagia) in each of the last five years, in each strategic health authority area.

Caroline Flint: This information is shown in the following tables.
	
		
			  Count of finished admission episodes where the primary diagnosis was Dysfunctional Uterine Bleeding* and Menorrhagia**  NHS hospitals in England, 2001-02 to 2005-06 
			2001-02  2002-03  2003-04 
			   Strategic health authority of treatment  Dysfunctional Uterine Bleeding  Menorrhagia  Dysfunctional Uterine Bleeding  Menorrhagia  Dysfunctional Uterine Bleeding  Menorrhagia 
			 Q01 Norfolk, Suffolk and Cambridgeshire HA 305 2,548 244 2,518 199 2,555 
			 Q02 Bedfordshire and Hertfordshire HA 131 1,291 92 1,259 92 1,194 
			 Q03 Essex HA 299 1,403 318 1,251 348 1,422 
			 Q04 North West London HA 114 1,285 62 1,334 90 1,588 
			 Q05 North Central London HA 166 1,569 177 1,704 181 1,463 
			 Q06 North East London HA 140 1,863 84 1,910 90 1,839 
			 Q07 South East London HA 59 1,401 69 1,634 80 1,459 
			 Q08 South West London HA 84 1,173 101 1,155 90 1,254 
			 Q09 Northumberland, Tyne and Wear HA 366 1,788 336 2,011 316 2,018 
			 Q10 County Durham and Tees Valley HA 253 766 324 1,639 303 1,439 
			 Q11 North and East Yorkshire and Northern Lincolnshire HA 356 2,650 353 2,508 503 2,638 
			 Q12 West Yorkshire HA 404 3,472 428 3,276 407 3,001 
			 Q13 Cumbria and Lancashire HA 115 1,598 231 2,428 215 2,356 
			 Q14 Greater Manchester HA 334 1,838 359 2,806 360 2,687 
			 Q15 Cheshire and Merseyside HA 600 3,580 588 3,367 582 3,224 
			 Q16 Thames Valley HA 163 2,614 187 3,148 172 2,594 
			 Q17 Hampshire and Isle of Wight HA 297 1,872 296 1,835 258 1,533 
			 Q18 Kent and Medway HA 281 1,904 347 1,754 302 1,653 
			 Q19 Surrey and Sussex HA 112 1,307 174 2,299 168 2,384 
			 Q20 Avon, Gloucestershire and Wiltshire HA 239 1,489 268 2,079 228 2,164 
			 Q21 South West Peninsula HA 141 1,919 124 1,768 84 1,638 
			 Q22 Dorset and Somerset HA 141 1,467 129 1,399 109 1,484 
			 Q23 South Yorkshire HA 372 1,386 391 1,564 488 1,549 
			 Q24 Trent HA 448 2,969 414 3,055 396 2,947 
			 Q25 Leicestershire, Northamptonshire and Rutland HA 271 1,874 246 1,654 157 2,106 
			 Q26 Shropshire and Staffordshire HA 272 2,202 150 2,652 180 2,611 
			 Q27 Birmingham and the Black Country HA 305 3,275 307 3,340 454 3,210 
			 Q28 Coventry, Warwickshire, Herefordshire and Worcestershire HA 159 1,913 189 2,017 214 1,668 
			 Y Not known 443 4,728(1) 
		
	
	
		
			2004-05  2005-06 
			   Strategic health authority of treatment  Dysfunctional Uterine Bleeding  Menorrhagia  Dysfunctional Uterine Bleeding  Menorrhagia 
			 Q01 Norfolk, Suffolk and Cambridgeshire HA 193 2,351 171 2,492 
			 Q02 Bedfordshire and Hertfordshire HA 60 1,290 83 1,193 
			 Q03 Essex HA 282 1,408 235 1,422 
			 Q04 North West London HA 49 1,473 50 1,738 
			 Q05 North Central London HA 166 1,399 93 1,282 
			 Q06 North East London HA 48 1,939 83 2,097 
			 Q07 South East London HA 87 1,433 88 1,755 
			 Q08 South West London HA 78 1,337 82 1,257 
			 Q09 Northumberland, Tyne and Wear HA 290 1,884 193 1,926 
			 Q10 County Durham and Tees Valley HA 248 1,460 319 1,452 
			 Q11 North and East Yorkshire and Northern Lincolnshire HA 394 2,694 287 3,023 
			 Q12 West Yorkshire HA 291 2,860 222 2,573 
			 Q13 Cumbria and Lancashire HA 235 2,276 248 2,593 
			 Q14 Greater Manchester HA 332 2,602 267 2,784 
			 Q15 Cheshire and Merseyside HA 420 2,778 429 3,588 
			 Q16 Thames Valley HA 165 2,408 172 2,811 
			 Q17 Hampshire and Isle of Wight HA 279 1,513 241 1,596 
			 Q18 Kent and Medway HA 233 1,490 334 1,776 
			 Q19 Surrey and Sussex HA 203 2,241 235 2,509 
			 Q20 Avon, Gloucestershire and Wiltshire HA 154 2,141 163 2,184 
			 Q21 South West Peninsula HA 125 1,564 124 1,709 
			 Q22 Dorset and Somerset HA 78 1,384 116 1,344 
			 Q23 South Yorkshire HA 585 1,941 215 2,122 
			 Q24 Trent HA 316 2,938 241 2,937 
			 Q25 Leicestershire, Northamptonshire and Rutland HA 166 2,020 325 2,657 
			 Q26 Shropshire and Staffordshire HA 131 2,623 79 2,207 
			 Q27 Birmingham and the Black Country HA 280 2,923 273 3,303 
			 Q28 Coventry, Warwickshire, Herefordshire and Worcestershire HA 217 1,730 212 1,839 
			 Y Not known 
			 (1) Due to reasons of confidentiality, figures between 1 and 5 have been suppressed.  Notes:  Finished admission episodes A finished admission episode is the first period of in-patient care under one consultant within one health care provider. Please note that admissions do not represent the number of in-patients, as a person may have more than one admission within the year.  Diagnosis (primary diagnosis) The primary diagnosis is the first of up to 14 (seven prior to 2002-03) diagnosis fields in the Hospital Episode Statistics (HES) data set and provides the main reason why the patient was in hospital.  Selected primary diagnosis codes for Dysfunctional Uterine Bleeding* and Menorrhagia**  Dysfunctional Uterine Bleeding* N93.8 Other specified abnormal uterine and vaginal bleeding Includes dysfunctional or functional uterine or vaginal bleeding NOS  Menorrhagia** Menorrhagia is the term for excessive or frequent menstruation. N92.0 Excessive and frequent menstruation with regular cycle Includes Heavy periods NOS Menorrhagia NOS Polymenoirrhoea N92.2 Excessive menstruation at puberty Includes Excessive bleeding associated with onset of menstrual periods Pubertal menorrhagia Puberty bleeding N92.4 Excessive bleeding in premenopausal period Includes Menorrhagia or metrorrhagia Climacteric Menopausal Preclimacteric Premenopausal N95.0 Post menopausal bleeding  Data Quality Hospital Episode Statistics (HES) are compiled from data sent by over 300 NHS trusts and primary care trusts (PCT's) in England. The Information Centre for health and social care liaises closely with these organisations to encourage submission of complete and valid data and seeks to minimise inaccuracies and the effect of missing and invalid data via HES processes. While this brings about improvement over time, some shortcomings remain.  Source: Hospital Episode Statistics (HES), the Information Centre for Health and Social Care.

Gynaecology

Sandra Gidley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what percentage of patients referred to hospital with dysfunctional uterine bleeding (menorrhagia) underwent  (a) a hysterectomy and  (b) ablation as an alternative to hysterectomy in each of the last five years, in each strategic health authority area.

Caroline Flint: This information cannot be provided in the format requested.

HC1 Form

Peter Soulsby: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many  (a) people aged under 25 years and  (b) higher education students applied for assistance with their health costs through the HC1 form in 2005; and how many people from each category received such help.

Caroline Flint: The following table provides an estimate of those claiming for help with their health costs via the HC1 form (based on 2005-06 data as figures are not available for the calendar year 2005).
	Those in receipt of HC2 certificates receive full help consisting of free prescriptions, sight tests, NHS dental treatment, wigs and fabric supports and travel to receive national health service treatment under the care of a consultant. The HC3 certificate provides partial help with the cost of the above, with the exception of prescriptions which are not free.
	
		
			   Under 25  All students including those under 25 
			 HC1 claims 136,815 100,860 
			 HC2 entitlements 72,731 57,213 
			 HC3 entitlements 57,599 43,647 
			  Source: Prescription Pricing Division of the NHS Business Services Authority

Health Professions: Foreign Workers

David Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many  (a) doctors and  (b) nurses recruited to the NHS from outside the European Union (i) were found guilty of malpractice in each of the last five years and (ii) are being investigated for malpractice.

Andy Burnham: The Department does not collect this information centrally. The General Medical Council and the General Nursing and Midwifery Council hold the register of doctors and nurses who practise in the United Kingdom, and make decisions on investigations and erasure from their registers.

Health Services

Jamie Reed: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what rules govern the purchase of health services from hospitals by primary care trusts with more than one hospital from which to commission services.

Andy Burnham: The NHS in England: operating framework for 2007-08 signalled the introduction of a new national health service contract for primary care trusts to use when commissioning acute secondary care services covered by payment by results (PbR), from NHS trusts, NHS foundation trusts and independent sector providers. The NHS contract for acute hospital services covers agreements between primary care trusts (PCTs) and providers for the delivery of acute hospital-based care. The contract enables patients to choose where they are referred for elective care, and hospitals will be paid by PCT commissioners according to PbR rules for the work they do.
	The rules and principles relating to the operation of the contract are set out in Guidance on the NHS Contract for Acute Hospital Services for 2007-08. A copy of this document is available in the Library. All acute NHS trust will adopt the new contract from April 2007. The contract will be applied to NHS foundation trusts either from April 2007 or subsequently, from the earliest point at which their pre-existing contracts become invalid.
	The principles of patient choice apply equally to services provided by NHS foundation trusts which remain on the previous form of contract.

Health Services

Andrew Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to the answer of 2 March 2007,  Official Report, column 1579W, on health services, if she will give a breakdown of her estimate that 90 per cent. of people's contacts with the health service take place outside hospitals.

Andy Burnham: A breakdown of the 90 per cent. of contacts with the health service that take place outside hospital has been estimated as follows: 26 per cent. with the family doctor service, 59 per cent. prescription items dispensed in the community and 5 per cent. other services, including district nurses and other community based staff.

Health Services: Internet

Stewart Jackson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health for what reasons the decision was taken not to continue to fund the Best Treatments website; and if she will make a statement.

Rosie Winterton: holding answer 27 February 2007
	Financial resources and new policy developments were deciding factors regarding the contract for Best Treatments. The Department remains committed to providing patients and the public with the information they need to make informed decisions about their healthcare and social care, but needs to target resources where they will be most effective.
	The Department will help people to find the excellent information that is already available rather than duplicate production. That is why we are developing information prescriptions and an information accreditation scheme. In this way, we will drive up quality of information and assure people that the information they access is reliable and relevant to them.

Health Services: North West Region

Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether any of the bidders for the  (a) Integrated Clinical Assessment and Treatment Services and  (b) Clinical Assessment Treatment Services centres in the North West are also (i) health care providers in the North West and (ii) owned, wholly or in part, by health care providers in the North West.

Andy Burnham: Netcare, who are the preferred bidder for the Cumbria and Lancashire Clinical Assessment, Treatment and Support (CATS) electives scheme and one of the two Greater Manchester CATS schemes, provides national health service services in the North West through the Greater Manchester Surgical Centre, part of Wave 1 of the Independent Sector Treatment Centre programme.

Health Services: Overseas Residence

Vincent Cable: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  what estimate she has made of the cost of providing free NHS treatment to UK citizens who are resident abroad in each of the last five years;
	(2)  what the estimated revenue from UK citizens resident abroad in NHS fees was in each of the last five years for which figures are available.

Rosie Winterton: In general, any United Kingdom citizen who resides abroad is treated as an overseas visitor and may be required to pay for national health service treatment under the provisions of the NHS (Charges to Overseas Visitors) Regulations 1989, as amended. Successive Governments have not required the NHS to provide statistics on the number of overseas visitors seen, treated or charged under these provisions, nor any costs involved. It is therefore not possible to provide the information requested.

Health: Irish Community

Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps are being taken to target the Irish community with culturally appropriate health promotion strategies in the areas of  (a) smoking cessation,  (b) healthy diet and  (c) exercise.

Caroline Flint: Smoking cessation campaigns are predominantly targeted at the general population of smokers, and the highest prevalence group of 25-44 year olds in lower socio-economic groups (C2DE). We develop our campaigns with appropriate messaging for this group based on insights into their smoking behaviour, with additional campaign materials developed for communities where cultural factors affect the accessibility of these messages. There has been no evidence yet suggested by research that members of the Irish community in our target audience will be less receptive to the core national campaign messages, or experience accessibility issues. Individual PCTs that have substantial Irish communities within their catchment area may run targeted public health campaigns for this group.
	On healthy diet and exercise, we will be rolling out a series of initiatives linking in with partner organisations across the public sector, the food manufacturing and retail sector and with voluntary organisations to support families to live a healthy life based on a healthy diet and increased physical activity. The Healthy Living strategy is about providing support when and where it is required and in a way that people will respond to.
	The most extensive survey on behaviours of minority ethnic groups ever carried out in England was published in April 2006. The Health Survey for England 2004 interviewed over 6,000 adults from black and minority ethnic communities including Irish communities. The proportion of Irish adults who met the five-a-day recommendation was 26 per cent. of Irish men and 32 per cent. of Irish women compared with 23 per cent. and 27 per cent. of the general population.
	On exercise the proportion of Irish adults who reported physical activity rates at the chief medical officer's recommended level of at least 30 minutes a day, five days a week was 39 per cent. for men and 29 per cent. for women compared with the figures for the general population of 37 per cent. for men and 25 per cent. for women.
	A copy of the survey is available in the Library.

Health: Regulatory Impact Assessment

Andrew Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to the answer of 21 March 2007,  Official Report, columns 1005-06W, on Health: Regulatory Impact Assessment, on which items of legislation for which  (a) her Department and  (b) other Government Departments are responsible health impact assessments have been incorporated into the regulatory impact assessment process.

Andy Burnham: The specific information requested could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.
	Regulatory impact assessments (RIAs) for legislation made since health impact assessments were incorporated into the RIA framework are available in the Library and on Government Departments' websites.

Hearing Aids: Gloucestershire

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many patients were provided with a digital hearing aid in each month by Gloucestershire Hospitals Trust since the current programme began.

Caroline Flint: The information requested is not collected centrally.

Heart Diseases: Bolton

David Crausby: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many people in Bolton have participated in the Coronary Disease Programme.

Rosie Winterton: The information requested is not held centrally.

Hepatitis

Bob Laxton: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many cases of  (a) Hepatitis A,  (b) Chronic Hepatitis B,  (c) Hepatitis C,  (d) Hepatitis D,  (e) Hepatitis E,  (f) Hepatitis F,  (g) Hepatitis G and  (h) Hepatitis H were reported in each year since 1997.

Caroline Flint: The information requested is provided in the following tables.
	 (a) Hepatitis A
	
		
			   Number of reports 
			 1997 1,272 
			 1998 1,058 
			 1999 1,357 
			 2000 1,009 
			 2001 785 
			 2002 1,338 
			 2003 984 
			 2004 649 
			 2005 444 
			 2006 268 
			  Note:  2006 data are provisional, and numbers are likely to increase.  Source:  Health Protection Agency (HPA) 
		
	
	 (b) Chronic Hepatitis B
	Data on chronic hepatitis B are not collected.
	Data are collected on laboratory reports of acute Hepatitis B. Surveillance of the incidence of acute infection is used to monitor trends, to evaluate the Hepatitis B immunisation programme and to inform the development of national and local control policies.
	 (c) Hepatitis C
	
		
			  Hepatitis C laboratory reports, England 1997 to 2006 
			   Number of reports 
			 1997 2,652 
			 1998 4,098 
			 1999 5,294 
			 2000 4,917 
			 2001 4,675 
			 2002 5,590 
			 2003 6,566 
			 2004 7,993 
			 2005 7,579 
			 2006 5,842 
			  Note:  2006 data are provision, and numbers are likely to increase  Source:  Health Protection Agency 
		
	
	 (d) Hepatitis D
	Data on Hepatitis D are not collected. Hepatitis D is a defective virus that replicates only in the presence of the Hepatitis B virus.
	 (e) Hepatitis E
	Information is available from 2003 to 2006
	
		
			  Laboratory reports of Hepatitis E, England and Wales 2003 to 2006 
			   Number of reports 
			 2003 125 
			 2004 150 
			 2005 329 
			 2006 292 
			  Source:  Health Protection Agency 
		
	
	 (f) Hepatitis F
	Hepatitis F is a hypothetical hepatitis virus. Several hepatitis F virus candidates emerged in the 1990s. Further investigations failed to confirm the existence of the virus, and it was delisted as a cause of infectious hepatitis.
	 (g) Hepatitis G
	Data are not routinely collected on hepatitis G. Extensive worldwide investigation has failed to identify any association between the hepatitis G virus and hepatitis, and its clinical significance is unknown.
	 (h) Hepatitis H
	There is currently no virus designated as hepatitis H.

Home Births

Andrew George: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many and what proportion of deliveries were home births in each year since 1995.

John Healey: I have been asked to reply.
	The information requested falls within the responsibility of the National Statistician, who has been asked to reply.
	 Letter from Karen Dunnell, dated 16 April 2007:
	As National Statistician I have been asked to reply to your recent Parliamentary Question about the number and proportion of deliveries that were home births in each year since 1995. (126162)
	The latest year for which we have data is 2005. The attached table shows the number and percentage of maternities that took place at home in England and Wales in each year between 1995 and 2005.
	
		
			  Number and percentage of maternities taking place at home, England and Wales, 1995 to 2005 
			   Number of maternities  
			   at home  total  Percentage of maternities taking place at home 
			 1995 12,487 642,404 1.9 
			 1996 13,460 643,862 2.1 
			 1997 14,412 637,001 2.3 
			 1998 13,815 629,926 2.2 
			 1999 13,271 615,994 2.2 
			 2000 12,803 598,580 2.1 
			 2001 12,115 588,868 2.1 
			 2002 12,697 590,453 2.2 
			 2003 13,590 615,787 2.2 
			 2004 14,506 633,728 2.3 
			 2005 16,501 639,627 2.6 
			  Source: Birth Statistics, Series FM1 no. 24 to 34.

Hospital Stays

Andrew Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what benchmarking her Department has undertaken of comparative lengths of hospital stay  (a) between hospitals in England and  (b) between hospitals in England and those in other countries.

Andy Burnham: holding answer 29 March 2007
	Data on length of stay by hospital in England is published annually by the Information Centre for Health and Social Care and can be found at www.hesonline.org. The median length of stay in hospital during 2005-06 was two days. Variation will reduce as the national health service continues to make progress towards its target of 18 weeks between referral and treatment.
	The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) publishes annual data which shows that average length of stay in the United Kingdom compares favourably with those in many other countries. This data can be obtained from OECD.

Hospitals: Admissions

Andrew Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many emergency readmissions there were in each quarter since the quarter ending June 2002; and what percentage of patients was readmitted as an emergency in each quarter.

Andy Burnham: Currently the best computations of readmission rates are those released by the National Centre for Health Outcomes Development (NCHOD). They publish their data on a website at www.nchod.nhs.uk. Presently there are three years data from 2001-02 to 2003-04 at primary care trust (PCT) level. There are plans to produce an eight-year series up to 2005-06 at PCT and trust level. Other analyses could be produced only at disproportionate cost.

Hospitals: Consultants

Paul Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many primary care trusts in  (a) England and  (b) each region have restricted consultant-to-consultant referrals in each of the last five years; and if she will make a statement.

Andy Burnham: The information is not available centrally as this is a matter for the national health service locally. Activity is agreed and monitored locally through contracts between co-ordinating commissioners and providers.
	The Department published on 14 December 2006 good practice Care and resource utilisation: ensuring appropriateness of care that outlines some techniques that aim to ensure a more effective initial assessment, resulting in improved patient progress through the system and thereby reducing delays. The techniques are owned and agreed by clinicians, working in partnership across primary and secondary care, to deliver integrated, well-designed services. The document is available in the Library and at:
	www.dh.gov.uk/en/Publicationsandstatistics/Publications/PublicationsPolicyAndGuidance/DH_063265

Hospitals: Greater London

Karen Buck: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many and what proportion of patients have waited  (a) under six,  (b) six to 12 and  (c) over 12 months for hospital inpatient treatment in each London primary care trust in each year since 2003.

Andy Burnham: The tables show the counts and percentage of finished in-year admissions with a valid time waited from 2002-03 to 2005-06, for all London primary care trusts of responsibility.
	
		
			  London primary care trusts of responsibility ,  All London primary care trusts of responsibility ,  Method of admission: elective (waiting list and booked cases) ,  Counts and percentage of finished in-year admissions with a valid time waited ,  NHS hospitals, England 2002-03 to 2005-06 
			  2002-03 
			1 day to under 6 months  6 months to under 12 months  12 months and over  
			Finished in-year admissions  Percentage waited 1 day to under 6 months  Finished in-year admissions  Percentage waited 6 months to 12 months  Finished in- year admissions  Percentage waited more than 12 months  Number of elective waiting list and booked admissions where it is not possible to calculate accurate waiting times 
			 5A9 Barnet PCT 15,299 84.1 2,126 11.7 766 4.2 1,802 
			 5AX Bexley PCT 13,076 82.8 1,715 10.9 998 6.3 1,148 
			 5C1 Enfield PCT 10,117 73.5 2,119 15.4 1,533 11.1 2,555 
			 5C4 Tower Hamlets PCT 8,798 82.9 1,283 12.1 536 5.0 125 
			 5C6 Walthamstow, Leyton and Leytonstone PCT 5,198 68.1 1,420 18.6 1,011 13.3 221 
			 5C7 Chingford, Wanstead and Woodford PCT 4,106 69.0 1,047 17.6 802 13.5 222 
			 5C8 Redbridge PCT 8,615 76.5 1,463 13.0 1,179 10.5 1,139 
			 5C9 Haringey PCT 10,273 82.2 1,555 12.4 676 5.4 1,999 
			 5H1 Hammersmith and Fulham PCT 8,815 89.7 766 7.8 243 2.5 2,310 
			 5HX Ealing PCT 19,752 88.5 1,701 7.6 875 3.9 5,554 
			 SHY Hounslow PCT 7,870 83.5 1,147 12.2 403 4.3 10,094 
			 5K5 Brent PCT 14,762 87.0 1,665 9.8 535 3.2 2,856 
			 5K6 Harrow PCT 8,554 82.9 1,337 13.0 423 4.1 2,018 
			 5K7 Camden PCT 10,858 88.4 1,037 8.4 388 3.2 1,160 
			 5K8 Islington PCT 10,773 87.8 1,102 9.0 399 3.3 1,653 
			 5K9 Croydon PCT 13,550 79.8 2,216 13.1 1,209 7.1 3,925 
			 5LA Kensington and Chelsea PCT 6,335 88.8 652 9.1 150 2.1 1,964 
			 5LC Westminster PCT 8,923 88.3 948 9.4 232 2.3 1,875 
			 5LD Lambeth PCT 14,051 82.9 1,894 11.2 1,003 5.9 1,904 
			 5LE Southwark PCT 13,231 83.4 1,690 10.6 948 6.0 1,798 
			 5LF Lewisham PCT 15,575 81.9 2,403 12.6 1,032 5.4 2,713 
			 5LG Wandsworth PCT 8,952 77.9 1,775 15.4 772 6.7 1,710 
			 5M6 Richmond and Twickenham PCT 5,932 79.8 1,098 14.8 403 5.4 4,999 
			 5M7 Sutton and Merton PCT 18,717 80.6 3,203 13.8 1,294 5.6 4,035 
			  London PCT Total 262,132 82.6 37,362 11.8 17,810 5.6 59,779 
		
	
	
		
			  2003-04 
			1 day to under 6 months  6 months to under 12 months  12 months and over  
			Finished in-year admissions  Percentage waited 1 day to under 6 months  Finished in-year admissions  Percentage waited 6 months to 12 months  Finished in- year admissions  Percentage waited more than 12 months  Number of elective waiting list and booked admissions where it is not possible to calculate accurate waiting times 
			 5A9 Barnet PCT 14,901 82.6 2,727 15.1 411 2.3 1,740 
			 5C1 Enfield PCT 10,652 75.5 2,760 19.6 701 5.0 2,815 
			 5C4 Tower Hamlets PCT 9,020 83.6 1,619 15.0 155 1.4 251 
			 5C9 Haringey Teaching PCT 10,639 84.5 1,650 13.1 307 2.4 2,030 
			 5H1 Hammersmith and Fulham PCT 9,089 89.3 1,027 10.1 60 0.6 2,193 
			 5HX Ealing PCT 19,744 88.0 2,356 10.5 340 1.5 6,068 
			 SHY Hounslow PCT 8,346 82.3 1,668 16.5 122 1.2 9,091 
			 5K5 Brent Teaching PCT 13,062 88.5 1,516 10.3 182 1.2 2,583 
			 5K6 Harrow PCT 9,829 85.6 1,454 12.7 202 1.8 2,080 
			 5K7 Camden PCT 9,928 87.1 1,269 11.1 198 1.7 1,197 
			 5K8 Islington PCT 10,526 88.8 1,155 9.7 179 1.5 1,628 
			 5K9 Croydon PCT 13,982 80.4 2,792 16.1 619 3.6 4,745 
			 5LA Kensington and Chelsea PCT 6,599 89.7 682 9.3 79 1.1 1,784 
			 5LC Westminster PCT 9,164 88.1 1,089 10.5 149 1.4 1,683 
			 5LD Lambeth PCT 15,228 85.5 2,166 12.2 417 2.3 2,883 
			 5LE Southwark PCT 13,261 85.5 1,957 12.6 300 1.9 2,747 
			 5LF Lewisham PCT 10,442 85.0 1,559 12.7 281 2.3 8,896 
			 5LG Wandsworth PCT 10,261 83.3 1,786 14.5 275 2.2 1,751 
			 5M6 Richmond and Twickenham PCT 6,633 83.6 1,142 14.4 163 2.1 4,229 
			 5M7 Sutton and Merton PCT 20,648 86.0 2,934 12.2 420 1.7 3,201 
			 5NA Redbridge PCT 11,262 77.0 2,820 19.3 544 3.7 833 
			 5NC Waltham Forest PCT 8,035 72.3 2,650 23.8 429 3.9 410 
			 TAK Bexley Care Trust 14,468 85.8 1,872 11.1 528 3.1 2,300 
			  London PCT total 265,719 84.2 42,650 13.5 7,061 2.2 67,138 
		
	
	
		
			  2004-05 
			1 day to under 6 months  6 months to under 12 months  12 months and over  
			Finished in-year admissions  Percentage waited 1 day to under 6 months  Finished in-year admissions  Percentage waited 6 months to 12 months  Finished in- year admissions  Percentage waited more than 12 months  Number of elective waiting list and booked admissions where it is not possible to calculate accurate waiting times 
			 5A9 Barnet PCT 15,478 84.0 2,715 14.7 227 1.2 1,873 
			 5C1 Enfield PCT 10,356 77.2 2,773 20.7 280 2.1 2,337 
			 5C4 Tower Hamlets PCT 11,871 89.8 1,238 9.4 115 0.9 336 
			 5C9 Haringey Teaching PCT 10,026 84.3 1,685 14.2 184 1.5 1,936 
			 5H1 Hammersmith and Fulham PCT 8,065 89.9 813 9.1 91 1.0 1,753 
			 5HX Ealing PCT 20,004 88.9 2,172 9.7 330 1.5 5,708 
			 SHY Hounslow PCT 12,229 90.3 1,241 9.2 73 0.5 3,491 
			 5K5 Brent Teaching PCT 13,592 89.1 1,570 10.3 95 0.6 3,352 
			 5K6 Harrow PCT 9,607 86.1 1,450 13.0 102 0.9 2,037 
			 5K7 Camden PCT 9,770 88.0 1,181 10.6 157 1.4 1,221 
			 5K8 Islington PCT 10,195 88.6 1,173 10.2 138 1.2 1,608 
			 5K9 Croydon PCT 13,664 81.9 2,721 16.3 299 1.8 3,905 
			 5LA Kensington and Chelsea PCT 6,466 89.6 698 9.7 55 0.8 1,749 
			 5LC Westminster PCT 9,184 89.5 967 9.4 105 1.0 1,926 
			 5LD Lambeth PCT 15,316 88.9 1,743 10.1 168 1.0 2,728 
			 5LE Southwark PCT 13,496 89.3 1,485 9.8 125 0.8 2,730 
			 5LF Lewisham PCT 7,239 89.7 740 9.2 87 1.1 11,540 
			 5LG Wandsworth PCT 10,181 86.6 1,429 12.2 142 1.2 1,670 
			 5M6 Richmond and Twickenham PCT 7,856 87.1 1,055 11.7 107 1.2 2,118 
			 5M7 Sutton and Merton PCT 19,688 87.7 2,556 11.4 217 1.0 2,685 
			 5NA Redbridge PCT 11,002 81.3 2,265 16.7 260 1.9 1,066 
			 5NC Waltham Forest PCT 7,802 76.4 2,142 21.0 265 2.6 339 
			 TAK Bexley Care Trust 14,898 88.7 1,654 9.8 246 1.5 2,634 
			  London PCT total 267,985 86.6 37,466 12.1 3,868 1.3 60,742 
		
	
	
		
			  2005-06 
			1 day to under 6 months  6 months to under 12 months  12 months and over  
			Finished in-year admissions  Percentage waited 1 day to under 6 months  Finished in-year admissions  Percentage waited 6 months to 12 months  Finished in- year admissions  Percentage waited more than 12 months  Number of elective waiting list and booked admissions where it is not possible to calculate accurate waiting times 
			 5A9 Barnet PCT 16,578 88.3 2,036 10.8 165 0.9 1,880 
			 5C1 Enfield PCT 10,759 79.4 2,576 19.0 210 1.6 2,394 
			 5C4 Tower Hamlets PCT 13,275 93.2 868 6.1 93 0.7 526 
			 5C9 Haringey Teaching PCT 10,960 86.8 1,483 11.7 185 1.5 2,020 
			 5H1 Hammersmith and Fulham PCT 9,377 90.3 941 9.1 70 0.7 1,787 
			 5HX Ealing PCT 20,657 89.5 2,167 9.4 245 1.1 7,099 
			 SHY Hounslow PCT 8,697 90.6 819 8.5 83 0.9 7,285 
			 5K5 Brent Teaching PCT 15,498 89.9 1,680 9.7 70 0.4 4,085 
			 5K6 Harrow PCT 10,436 87.2 1,469 12.3 65 0.5 2,639 
			 5K7 Camden PCT 10,221 90.4 969 8.6 111 1.0 1,391 
			 5K8 Islington PCT 11,450 91.7 900 7.2 131 1.0 2,320 
			 5K9 Croydon PCT 16,636 88.7 1,899 10.1 219 1.2 4,016 
			 5LA Kensington and Chelsea PCT 6,516 90.5 629 8.7 53 0.7 1,968 
			 5LC Westminster PCT 9,016 90.0 901 9.0 102 1.0 2,594 
			 5LD Lambeth PCT 16,447 89.3 1,789 9.7 187 1.0 3,851 
			 5LE Southwark PCT 14,762 89.4 1,601 9.7 155 0.9 3,561 
			 5LF Lewisham PCT 7,730 91.2 679 8.0 69 0.8 12,409 
			 5LG Wandsworth PCT 11,165 88.8 1,270 10.1 138 1.1 2,085 
			 5M6 Richmond and Twickenham PCT 7,039 87.5 905 11.2 104 1.3 3,552 
			 5M7 Sutton and Merton PCT 21,704 88.3 2,648 10.8 225 0.9 3,072 
			 5NA Redbridge PCT 11,393 87.2 1,501 11.5 173 1.3 1,477 
			 5NC Waltham Forest PCT 8,806 82.6 1,690 15.8 167 1.6 636 
			 TAK Bexley Care Trust 15,214 91.3 1,295 7.8 152 0.9 3,570 
			  London PCT total 284,336 88.8 32,715 10.2 3,172 1.0 76,217 
			  Notes:  Finished in-year admissions  A finished in-year admission is the first period of in-patient care under one consultant within one health care provider, excluding admissions beginning before 1 April at the start of the data year. Please note that admissions do not represent the number of in-patients, as a person may have more than one admission within the year.  Ungrossed Data Figures have not been adjusted for shortfalls in data (i.e. the data are ungrossed).  Time waited (days) Time waited statistics from Hospital Episode Statistics (HES) are not the same as the published waiting list statistics. HES provides counts and time waited for all patients admitted to hospital within a given period whereas the published waiting list statistics count those waiting for treatment on a specific date and how long they have been on the waiting list. Also, HES calculates the time waited as the difference between the admission and decision to admit dates. Where there is no recorded entry for decision to admit, or when decision to admit and admission date are the same this creates an invalid waiting time. Unlike published waiting list statistics, this is not adjusted for self-deferrals or periods of medical/social suspension. The time band 'one day to under six months' includes those who waited one to 182 days, the 'six months to under 12 months' includes those who waited 183 to 364 days, the '12 months and over' includes those who waited 365 and over days.  Primary care trust (PCT) and strategic health authority (SHA) data quality  PCT and SHA data was added to historic data-years in the HES database using 2002-03 boundaries, as a one-off exercise in 2004. The quality of the data on PCT of Treatment and SHA of Treatment is poor in 1996-97,1997-98 and 1998-99, with over a third of all finished episodes having missing values in these years. Data quality of PCT of GP practice and SHA of GP practice in 1997-98 and 1998-99 is also poor, with a high proportion missing values where practices changed or ceased to exist. There is less change in completeness of the residence-based fields over time, where the majority of unknown values are due to missing postcodes on birth episodes. Users of time series analysis including these years need to be aware of these issues in their interpretation of the data.  Data Quality Hospital Episode Statistics (HES) are compiled from data sent by over 300 NHS trusts and primary care trusts (PCTs) in England. The Information Centre for health and social care liaises closely with these organisations to encourage submission of complete and valid data and seeks to minimise inaccuracies and the effect of missing and invalid data via HES processes. While this brings about improvement over time, some shortcomings remain.  Source: Hospital Episode Statistics (HES), The Information Centre for Health and Social Care.

Hospitals: Waiting Lists

Fraser Kemp: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many and what percentage of people in  (a) Houghton and Washington East constituency and  (b) Sunderland city council area were waiting more than (i) three months, (ii) six months and (iii) a year for an NHS treatment for (A) cancer and (B) heart problems in each year since 1997.

Rosie Winterton: The information is not available in the format requested.
	Data on the time patients are waiting for cancer treatment is not collected centrally.
	Information is collected on performance against the cancer waiting times standards of a maximum wait of 31 days from diagnosis to first cancer treatment and a maximum wait of 62 days from urgent referral to first cancer treatment, which were introduced for all cancer patients from December 2005. Data giving performance against these standards for the period July to September 2006 shows that patients at the City Hospitals Sunderland National Health Service Foundation Trust achieved 99.4 per cent. and 96.7 per cent. respectively.
	More detailed information and historic statistics for these standards and the cancer two week wait has been placed in the Library and are available online at:
	www.performance.doh.gov.uk/cancerwaits/
	Cardiology waiting times at the City Hospitals Sunderland NHS Foundation Trust have been set out in the table shown.
	
		
			  Provider based inpatient cardiology figures, City Hospitals Sunderland NHS Foundation Trust 
			   Month  Total waiting  Number waiting over 13 weeks  Percentage of total waiting list waiting over 13 weeks  Number w aiting over 26 weeks  Percentage of t otal waiting list waiting over 26 weeks 
			 1997 March 6 0 0 0 0 
			 1998 March 1 0 0 0 0 
			 1999 March 10 6 60 2 20.0 
			 2000 March 44 4 9.1 1 2.3 
			 2001 March 85 9 10.6 0 0 
			 2002 March 105 12 11.4 1 1.0 
			 2003 March 78 7 9.0 0 0 
			 2004 March 90 2 2.2 0 0 
			 2005 March 42 1 2.4 0 0 
			 2006 March 184 34 18.5 0 0 
			 2006 December 205 11 5.4 0 0 
			  Source: Department of Health, KH07

Hull and East Yorkshire Hospitals NHS Trust: Out-patients

David Davis: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what proportion of Hull and East Yorkshire NHS Trust outpatients have been discharged back to their GP for their follow-up appointment in the last 12 months.

Andy Burnham: This information is not collected centrally.

Hull and East Yorkshire Hospitals NHS Trust: Surgery

David Davis: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many operations were carried out by private hospitals on behalf of Hull and East Yorkshire Hospitals NHS Trust in each of the last five years.

Andy Burnham: This information is not collected centrally.

Hull and East Yorkshire Hospitals NHS Trust: Surgery

David Davis: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many operations were carried out by Hull and East Yorkshire Hospitals NHS Trust for  (a) heart surgery,  (b) ophthalmology surgery,  (c) knee surgery,  (d) hip replacements and  (e) urology surgery in each of the last five years; and what the average waiting time was for each category of operation in each year.

Rosie Winterton: The information requested is set out in the following tables.
	
		
			  Count of total procedures for selected groups of procedures for finished consultant episodes carried out in Hull and East Yorkshire Hospitals Trust for 2001-02 to 2005-06NHS Hospitals, England 
			   Heart surgery  Ophthalmology surgery  Knee surgery  Hip replacements  Urology surgery 
			 2001-02 5,510 4,957 1,796 612 6,722 
			 2002-03 5,864 7,633 1,794 581 7,056 
			 2003-04 5,950 7,426 1,582 655 7,770 
			 2004-05 6,363 7,674 1,406 ,700 7,475 
			 2005-06 6,012 8,088 1,375 749 7,922 
			  Notes: 1. Finished consultant episode (FCE). An FCE is defined as a period of admitted patient care under one consultant within one healthcare. 2. All operations count of mentions. These figures represent a count of all mentions of an operation in any of the 12 (4 prior to 2002-03) operation fields in the Hospital Episode Statistics (HES) data set. Therefore, if an operation is mentioned in more than one operation field during an episode, all operations are counted. 3. Main operation. The main operation is the first recorded operation in the HES data set and is usually the most resource intensive procedure performed during the episode. It is appropriate to use main operation when looking at admission details, e.g. time waited, but the figures for all operations count of episodes give a more complete count of episodes with an operation. 4. Secondary procedure. As well as the main operative procedure, there are up to 11 (3 prior to 2002-03) secondary operation fields in HES that show secondary or additional procedures performed on the patient during the episode of care. 5. Data quality. HES are compiled from data sent by over 300 NHS trusts and primary care trusts (PCTs) in England. The Information Centre for care and social services liaises closely with these organisations to encourage submission of complete and valid data and seeks to minimise inaccuracies and the effect of missing and invalid data via HES processes. While this brings about improvement over time, some shortcomings remain. 6. Ungrossed data. Figures have not been adjusted for shortfalls in data (i.e. the data are ungrossed).  Codes: Provider code RWA Hull and East Yorkshire Hospitals Trust Heart surgery defined by OPCS 4.2 codes KOI to K71 Ophthalmology surgery defined by OPCS 4.2 codes C01 to C86 Knee surgery defined by OPCS 4.2 codes W06.3, W40, W41, W42, W70, W78.3, W82, W85, W87 Hip replacements defined by OPCS 4.2 codes W37, W38, W39, W46, W47, W48 Urology surgery defined by OPCS 4.2 codes M01 to M83  Source: Hospital Episode Statistics (HES), The Information Centre for health and social care 
		
	
	The following table shows the median time waited for finished in-year admission episodes with an admission method of 11 or 12 and a main operation of heart surgery at Hull and East Yorkshire Hospitals NHS Trust for 2001-02 to 2005-06.
	
		
			   Median (days)  Total episodes 
			 2001-02 92 2,557 
			 2002-03 100 2,883 
			 2003-04 99 2,817 
			 2004-05 88 3,347 
			 2005-06 85 3,709 
			  Notes: 1. Heart surgery defined by OPCS 4.2 codes KOI to K71 2. Admission methods 11 electivefrom waiting list and 12 elective--booked 
		
	
	The following table shows the median time waited for finished in-year admission episodes within an admission method of 11 or 12 and a main operation of ophthalmology surgery at the Hull and East Yorkshire Hospitals NHS Trust for 2001-02 to 2005-06.
	
		
			   Median (days)  Total episodes 
			 2001-02 181 2,524 
			 2002-03 160 3,127 
			 2003-04 135 3,107 
			 2004-05 74 3,207 
			 2005-06 49 3,402 
			  Notes: 1. Ophthalmology surgery defined by OPCS 4.2 codes C01 to C86 2. Admission methods 11 electivefrom waiting list and 12 electivebooked 
		
	
	The following table shows the median time waited for finished in-ear admission episodes within an admission method of 11 or 12 and a main operation of knee surgery at the Hull and East Yorkshire Hospitals NHS Trust for 2001-02 to 2005-06.
	
		
			   Median (days)  Total episodes 
			 2001-02 142 1,076 
			 2002-03 156 1,092 
			 2003-04 192 1,062 
			 2004-05 175 1,186 
			 2005-06 155 1,198 
			  Notes: 1. Knee surgery defined by OPCS 4.2 codes W06.3, W40, W41, W42, W70, W78.3, W82, W85, W87 2. Admission methods 11 electivefrom waiting list and 12 electivebooked 
		
	
	The following table shows the median time waited for finished in-year admission episodes within an admission method of 11 or 12 and a main operation of hip replacement at the Hull and East Yorkshire Hospitals NHS Trust for 2001-02 to 2005-06.
	
		
			   Median (days)  Total episodes 
			 2001-02 133 365 
			 2002-03 126 342 
			 2003-04 148 396 
			 2004-05 157 359 
			 2005-06 163 360 
			  Notes: 1. Hip replacements defined by OPCS 4.2 codes W37, W38, W39, W46, W47, W48 2. Admission methods 11 electivefrom waiting list and 12 electivebooked 
		
	
	The following table shows the median time waited for finished in-year admission episodes within an admission method of 11 or 12 and a main operation of urology surgery at the Hull and East Yorkshire Hospitals NHS Trust for 2001-2002 to 2005-2006.
	
		
			   Median (days)  Total episodes 
			 2001-02 74 2,535 
			 2002-03 23 3,727 
			 2003-04 36 3,941 
			 2004-05 42 4,164 
			 2005-06 48 3,747 
			  Notes: 1. Urology surgery defined by OPCS 4.2 codes M01 to M83 2. Admission methods 11 electivefrom waiting list and 12 electivebooked 3. Finished in-year admissions. A finished in-year admission is the first period of inpatient care under one consultant within one health care provider, excluding admissions beginning before 1 April at the start of the data year. Please note that admissions do not represent the number of inpatients, as a person may have more than one admission within the year. 4. Main operation. The main operation is the first recorded operation in the Hospital Episode Statistics (HES) data set and is usually the most resource intensive procedure performed during the episode. It is appropriate to use main operation when looking at admission details, e.g. time waited, but the figures for all operations count of episodes give a more complete count of episodes with an operation. 5. Time waited (days). Time waited statistics from HES are not the same as the published waiting list statistics. HES provides counts and time waited for all patients admitted to hospital within a given period whereas the published waiting list statistics count those waiting for treatment on a specific date and how long they have been on the waiting list. Also, HES calculates the time waited as the difference between the admission and decision to admit dates. Unlike published waiting list statistics, this is not adjusted for self-deferrals or periods of medical/social suspension. 6. Data quality. HES are compiled from data sent by over 300 NHS trusts and primary care trusts (PCTs) in England. The Information Centre for health and social care liaises closely with these organisations to encourage submission of complete and valid data and seeks to minimise inaccuracies and the effect of missing and invalid data via HES processes. While this brings about improvement over time, some shortcomings remain. 7. Ungrossed data. Figures have not been adjusted for shortfalls in data (i.e. the data are ungrossed).  Source: Hospital Episode Statistics (HES), The Information Centre for health and social care

Hull and East Yorkshire Hospitals NHS Trust: Surgery

David Davis: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many Hull and East Yorkshire NHS trust patients had their operation cancelled on the day of the operation in each of the last five years, broken down by operation type.

Andy Burnham: It is not possible to provide the information in the format requested as numbers of cancelled operations are not collected by type.
	However, the number of last minute cancellations for non clinical reasons for the Hull and East Yorkshire National Health Service Hospitals Trust is set out in the following table.
	
		
			  Last minute cancellations 
			   Number 
			 2001-02 783 
			 2002-03 877 
			 2003-04 867 
			 2004-05 1,045 
			 2005-06 825 
			 2006-07(1) 429 
			 (1) Data for 2006-07 is for the first three quarters only.  Source: Department of Health dataset QMC

Human-Animal Hybrid Embryos

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what her policy is on the creation of human-animal hybrid embryos; and if she will make a statement.

Caroline Flint: The Government's policy proposals following their review of the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Act 1990 were published on 14 December 2006 in the Command Paper Review of the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Act: Proposals for revised legislation (including establishment of the Regulatory Authority for Tissue and Embryos). Copies are available in the Library (Cm 6989). The proposals will form the basis for a bill, to be published in draft, for pre-legislative scrutiny.
	Revised legislation will clarify the extent to which the law applies to embryos combining human and animal material. We have proposed that the creation of hybrid and chimera embryos in vitro should not be allowed, in general, while at the same time recognising that there may be valuable avenues of scientific research in this area by the provision of a secondary legislative power to makes exceptions subject to licensing.
	The House of Commons Science and Technology Committee is in the process of conducting an inquiry into the Government's proposals for the regulation of hybrid and chimera embryos, and the Government will study carefully any recommendations arising.

Incontinence: Children

Annette Brooke: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment she has made of the services and support which are available at a local level for children aged between five and 16 years affected by continence problems and their families.

Rosie Winterton: Paediatric continence services are assessed by local primary care trusts (PCTs), in line with standard six of the national service framework for children. This standard includes a specific section on paediatric incontinence. There is a benchmarking tool to assist PCTs to evaluate their paediatric continence services, benchmark against other PCTs, and share good practice. This is available online at:
	www.cgsupport.nhs.uk/PDFs/articles/good_practice_paediatric_continence_services.pdf
	We have also funded the voluntary organisation ERIC (Education and Resources for Improving Childhood Continence) to a maximum of 90,000 over the three years 2006-07 to 2008-09 for their project on the implementation of national integrated continence services.

Independent Sector

David Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much and what proportion of NHS expenditure she estimates went to the independent sector from  (a) central funds and  (b) primary care trust allocations in each of the last five years.

Andy Burnham: Information on expenditure on the independent sector treatment centre (ISTC) programme from central budgets is shown in the table.
	
		
			   ISTC programme expenditure ( million)( 1)  Total NHS expenditure ( million)  ISTC expenditure as a percentage of total NHS spend 
			 2003-04 0.4 64,183  
			 2004-05 84.7 69,079 0.12 
			 2005-06 113.7 75,830 0.15 
			 (1 )Expenditure on locally procured independent sector treatment providers is not separately identified in the annual financial returns of national health service trusts, primary care trusts and strategic health authorities.  Note: The first ISTC commenced services in 2003. The above figures include central funding provided for the ISTCs, the general supplementary procurement and pathfinder contracts. NHS spend on independent healthcare providers will be determined by the choices made by patients and those who commission services locally on their behalf.

Insulin

Adrian Sanders: To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether she has submitted a request to the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence to undertake a comparison of the different types of insulin in its future work programme.

Rosie Winterton: holding answer 26 March 2007
	I refer the hon. Member to the reply given on 21 March 2007,  Official Report, column 1013W.

Insulin

John Baron: To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to the answer of 2 February 2007,  Official Report, column 546W, on insulin, 
	(1)  what adverse effects are associated with the use of  (a) animal insulins,  (b) synthetic human insulins and  (c) analogue insulins; what the incidence is of each effect; and if she will make a statement;
	(2)  what the evidential basis is for the assessment that analogue insulins are  (a) safe,  (b) effective and  (c) cost-effective.

Caroline Flint: Detailed information regarding the adverse effects known or suspected to be associated with a medicine is provided in the summary of product characteristics (the product information for prescribers) and the patient information leaflet.
	Generally the side effects observed are broadly similar for all types of insulins with the most commonly observed side effects being hypoglycaemia, visual disturbance and injection site reactions. Tables which summarise the current knowledge of frequencies of adverse reactions with different insulins have been placed in the Library. These provide a breakdown of the types of adverse effects and their frequencies, where known. The tables contain the information relating to animal, human and analogue insulins and are separated by the classification of the medicine into the following four groups: rapid; intermediate; long and biphasic action. It is important to note that a report of an adverse reaction does not necessarily mean that the drug caused it and a number of the adverse reactions reported by patients treated with insulin may be due to the underlying diabetes.
	There is less information available on the frequency of side effects for some of the older products. Guidelines for the investigation of the safety and efficacy of new medicinal products have developed over the years and the evidence base available for older products tends to be much less than that available for newer products such as the insulin analogues.
	The following aspects of the product are evaluated in detail as the evidential basis for the assessment of safety and efficacy of the analogue insulins:
	Manufacturing data, including biological purity, stability and viral removal processes;
	Laboratory testing of the product activity such as its binding to the relevant tissues;
	Testing on animals for safety and activity;
	Clinical trials in healthy volunteers and/or patient volunteers to;
	Establish the mechanism of action;
	Study distribution of the product within human body;
	Evaluate safety in sufficient numbers of volunteers to reflect safety issues that would be usually expected in clinical practice; and
	Evaluate efficacy in sufficient number of volunteers to demonstrate that the product in question would be clinically useful as intended.
	If it is considered that benefit versus risk profile of the product is positive, on the basis of aforementioned evaluation, a recommendation to license the product would normally be made.
	A summary of the available data on safety and effectiveness submitted in support of the licence applications for many of the insulin analogues is made publicly available in the form of a European Public Assessment Report available on the website of the European Medicines Agency (www.emea.europa.eu).
	Assessing the cost-effectiveness of a treatment is the responsibility of the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE). The Appraisal Committee of NICE are asked to take account of the overall resources available to the national health service. Decisions on the cost-effectives of a treatment must include judgments on the implications for other patient groups.

Junior Doctors: Career Structure

Ian Gibson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health who is responsible for the implementation of the modernising programme for junior doctors.

Caroline Flint: The four United Kingdom Health Departments are responsible for the overall implementation of modernising medical careers. The Health Departments co-ordinate action through a United Kingdom modernising medical careers strategy group which includes members from the Academy of Medical Royal Colleges, the General Medical Council, the Postgraduate Medical Education and Training Board (PMETB) and national health service employers. Each country also has a dedicated implementation team.
	The Royal Colleges are directly responsible for developing the new competency-based curricula which are approved by PMETB. The Royal Colleges also work closely with postgraduate deans over the development of person specifications for the recruitment process and the postgraduate deans themselves oversee selection into posts.
	The number of training opportunities available in 2007 was based on local discussions between local NHS employers, strategic health authorities and postgraduate deans.

Maternity Services

David Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to the answer of 27 February 2007,  Official Report, column 1291W, on maternity services, what information is available on the number of maternity units in  (a) 1997 and  (b) 2001.

Rosie Winterton: Data derived from Hospital Episode Statistics show that for 1997 there were 213 hospital trusts providing maternity services and 192 in 2001. Most trusts have one principal hospital site with delivery facilities and the majority of deliveries are reported through that main hospital trust. Any decrease in the number of units is likely to be due to reconfiguration of national health service trusts without any decrease in the number of hospitals, wards and birthing centres offering services.

Maternity Services: Leeds

Greg Mulholland: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  what assessment her Department has made of the impact of proposed changes to midwifery services in Leeds on  (a) the number and frequency of home visits and  (b) the provision of post-natal care;
	(2)  what assessment she has made of the impact of proposed changes to midwifery services in Leeds on the distances midwifery staff will have to travel in the course of their duties; and what provision has been made for the effect on costs of such travel;
	(3)  what consultation was undertaken on proposed changes to midwifery provision in Leeds with  (a) midwifery staff and  (b) representatives of the Leeds Primary Care Trust.

Caroline Flint: holding answer 22 March 2007
	 The NHS Yorkshire and the Humber Strategic Health Authority reports that the proposed changes were formulated in November 2006 and consultation involving the Royal College of Midwives, human resources and local staff side commenced in December 2006. Staff have been invited to raise their concerns at one to one meetings. The head of midwifery works in close collaboration with the primary care commissioners, midwifery educationalists, and the health visiting lead, who are aware of the proposed changes and welcome the modernisation schedule for maternity services taking shape. Focus groups have also been held with women to better understand their expectations of the service.
	Midwives will continue to be available to provide home visits where appropriate. The provision of home visits will be based on an assessment of risk and need.
	The Leeds Teaching Hospitals National Health Service Trust may require staff to change their work base for operational reasons. Eligibility for reimbursement of excess travel does not normally apply in these circumstances under the current agenda for change terms and conditions for staff employed in the NHS.

Mental Health Services: Children

Annette Brooke: To ask the Secretary of State for Health when she expects the 2006 Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services mapping data to be released.

Caroline Flint: Data will be available online in April at www.camhsmapping.org.uk. The 2006 Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services Mapping report is scheduled to be published in July.

Migraine

Ashok Kumar: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what research her Department has conducted into  (a) the causes of and  (b) the appropriate treatment for migraine attacks.

Caroline Flint: The main agency through which the Government support medical and clinical research is the Medical Research Council (MRC). The MRC is an independent body funded by the Department of Trade and Industry via the Office of Science and Innovation.
	The MRC is not currently funding research specifically relating to migraine. However, a strategic grant award to Dr. Leone Ridsdale, King's College, London for a prospective study on diagnostic management referral and one year outcome for patients with headache in primary care has recently been completed. The aim of this study was to provide evidence about the accuracy of diagnosis, the prognosis, reasons for referral, and the economic costs for patients and society.
	The Department funds research to support policy and to provide the evidence needed to underpin quality improvement and service development in the NHS and through its health technology assessment programme has supported a pragmatic, randomised trial into the use of acupuncture for migraine and headache in primary care; and is planning a randomised placebo controlled trial of propranolol and Pizotifen in preventing migraine in children.
	Over 75 per cent. of the Department's total expenditure on health research is devolved to and managed by national health service organisations. Details of individual projects, including a number concerned with migraine, are available on the national research register at:
	www.dh.gov.uk/research.

Milton Keynes Primary Care Trust: Taxis

Mark Lancaster: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much  (a) Milton Keynes primary care trust and  (b) Milton Keynes hospital spent on taxis in each of the last five years.

Andy Burnham: The information requested is not collected centrally. It is for the local health economy to determine how to use its allocated resources.

NHS Budget

Andrew Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much and what proportion of the NHS budget has been paid to non-NHS providers in each financial year since 1997-98 in  (a) cash and  (b) real terms.

Andy Burnham: The information is shown in the table.
	Non-NHS bodies include local authorities, other statutory bodies and the independent sector.
	
		
			   Total cash terms ( million)  Total real terms ( million)  As a proportion of NHS expenditure (percentage) 
			 1997-98 1,108.2 1,337.8 3.20 
			 1998-99 1,230.4 1,448.5 3.36 
			 1999-2000 1,301.2 1,501.5 3.24 
			 2000-01 1,549.2 1,762.8 3.53 
			 2001-02 1,793.0 1,993.0 3.66 
			 2002-03 2,239.3 2,414.4 4.14 
			 2003-04 3,315.9 3,471.9 5.26 
			 2004-05 3,681.0 3,749.7 5.31 
			 2005-06 4,435.1 4,435.1 5.81 
			  Notes: 1. Figures include 15.0 million of spending in 2004-05 and 19.6 million in 2005-06 by NHS foundation trusts. 2. HM Treasury Gross Domestic Product Deflator used to provide the real terms figures with 2005-06 as the base year. 3. Figures for 2005-06 are provisional.  Source: Annual financial returns for primary care trusts, strategic health authorities and NHS trusts for 1997-98 to 2005-06. Review and consolidated accounts of NHS foundation trusts 2005-06.

NHS Treatment Centres: Personal Records

Mark Todd: To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether data obtained in processing NHS treatment at a private sector treatment centre may be used for marketing purposes by the company owning the centre.

Andy Burnham: Currently wave 1 independent sector treatment centre (ISTC) providers do not market their services to national health service patients or referrers.
	Choice is a key part of health reform. Going forward, NHS providers, independent and public sector, should be providing patients with information which enables them to make an informed decision about their health care options. This will include information gathered from the treatment of NHS patients.
	The marketing schedule for phase 2 ISTC contracts states that marketing brochures produced by the provider for patients of the facilities must include (among other things) patient and provider statistics consistent with those contained in the NHS choice booklets, to the extent that they are relevant to the ISTC programme. These include details of in-patient waiting times, cancelled operations, out-patient waiting times, methicillin resistant  s taphylococcus aureus infection rates and the results of patient satisfaction surveys.
	Marketing brochures produced for Referring Health Service Bodies must include all the above, and in addition should cover complication rates and length of stay/day case rates.
	The schedule also provides that marketing material should not include information relating to private health care services or products and services offered by the IS provider, or a third party, which do not relate to the services being provided under the ISTC agreement with the authority.

NHS: Complaints

Vincent Cable: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  what recent representations she has received on the NHS complaints procedure; and if she will make a statement;
	(2)  what plans she has to reform the NHS complaints procedure to make it easier for users of the NHS to make a complaint.

Rosie Winterton: We received representation on the national health service complaints procedure in a joint letter in October 2006 from the Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman (PHSO) and the Local Government Ombudsman, providing feedback which welcomes our commitment to establish integrated health and social care complaints arrangements, gives their views on the principles they consider should govern the development and delivery of the new integrated approach, and summarises what they believe needs to be in place to make an effective integrated approach a reality.
	The White Paper Our health, our care, our say published in January 2006, signals our commitment to
	develop by 2009 a comprehensive single complaints system across health and social care [that will] focus on resolving complaints locally with a more personal and comprehensive approach to handling complaints,
	in response to people's wishes for easy and effective ways of complaining.
	We intend to conduct a consultation exercise very shortly on reform of the complaints arrangements across health and social care. In so doing we will take account of the recommendations by the PHSO and Local Government Ombudsman in developing a new complaints system, which we agree should be based on the following principles:
	open and easy to accessflexible about the ways people could complain and with effective information and support for people wishing to do so, and specialist advocacy as appropriate;
	fairemphasising early resolution so minimising the strain and distress for all those involved; investigation should be robust, effective and comprehensive at this stage;
	responsiveproviding appropriate, tailored and proportionate response and redress; having proper regard to the complainant's legitimate interests; and
	providing an opportunity for learning and developingensuring complaints are viewed as a positive opportunity to learn from patients' experiences and views to drive continual improvement in services.
	We have accepted a recommendation of the Shipman Inquiry (Fifth Report) that there should be a statutory recognition of the importance of the proper investigation of complaints to the processes of organisational learning and of monitoring the quality of care. Additionally a fair and responsive system must address the specific needs of vulnerable people, such as those with learning difficulties, mental health problems and communication difficulties.
	Throughout the consultation process we will maintain ongoing communication and feedback from key stakeholders, such as the ombudsman, the Local Government Ombudsman, the Healthcare Commission, the Commission for Social Care Inspection and Monitor, the regulator for foundation trusts. We will consult widely on the proposals across all health and social care communities, in the public and private sectors, and with patient and user representatives. As well as written responses we intend to conduct events in London and around the country to encourage thorough debate and feedback.

NHS: Finance

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many  (a) funding packages and  (b) joint-funding packages were completed by each primary care trust or predecessor bodies for patients whose complex needs cost (i) 100,000 to 249,999, (ii) 250,000 to 499,999 and (iii) more than 500,000 per annum in each of the last three years.

Andy Burnham: Cost data collected from the national health service do not distinguish between the costs of individual patients.
	We are therefore unable to separately identify the number of patients whose complex needs cost 100,000 to 249,999, 250,000 to 499,999 and more than 500,000 per annum in each of the last three years.

NHS: Finance

Anne McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Health for what purpose funds from the Centrally Funded Initiatives Services and Special Allocation (CFISSA) described in the 2006 Department of Health Annual Report as CFISSA budgets issued with primary care trust allocations were intended; and how they differ from other primary care trust revenue allocations.

Andy Burnham: The purpose and value of the centrally funded initiatives services and special allocations (CFISSA) funds issued with primary care trust (PCT) initial allocations are in the following table. These allocations differ from other CFISSA allocations only in that they are incorporated into PCT initial resource limits and are allocated at the start of the financial year. Other funds issued to the national health service from the CFISSA programme are made as in year allocation adjustments.
	
		
			  2005-06 centrally funded initiatives services and special allocations programme - allocations included with PCT initial resource limits 
			   000 
			 Primary medical services resource limit adjustment 4,517,190 
			 General medical services cash limited rebasing -702,554 
			 Pension indexation: PCT contribution 1,333,343 
			 NHS funded nursing care 584,000 
			 Palliative care 50,000 
			 Pensions indexation adjustment for personal medical services practice staff 33,171 
			 Neo natal intensive care 20,709 
			 Revascularisation 16,901 
			 Dangerous people with serious personality disorders 12,286 
			 Health Protection Agency 9,674 
			 Dentistry 3,907 
			 Health Protection Agency 2,315 
			 Medium secure services for deaf people 1,394 
			 Non medical education and training 870 
			 Improving services for people with multiple sclerosis 758 
			 Health Protection Agency 610 
			 Pensions indexation 500 
			 Regional directors of public health support 437 
			 Prison healthcare 90 
			 Defibrillator funding to PCTs 66 
			 PRION 52 
			 Multiple Sclerosis service improvements 42 
			 NHS funded nursing careshort-term respite care adjustment 4 
			 National specialist commissioningpancreatic transplantation -2,473 
			 Cancer registries -8,770 
			 National specialist commissioningchildren and adolescent mental health services -12,109 
			 Old long stay -44,934 
			 Total 5,817,479

NHS: Finance

Andrew Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health which programmes have been funded by her Department's Centrally Funded Initiatives and Services and Special Allocations (CFISSA) budget so far in 2006-07 financial year; what the value was of each of those programmes; what the total expenditure on the CFISSA budget was in each year since 1997-98; and what the anticipated expenditure on the CFISSA budget is expected to be in 2007-08.

Andy Burnham: Tables are available in the Library providing:
	(a) listings of all allocations by budget title and value to National Health Service organisations from 1997-98 to 2005-06;
	(b) total expenditure of the centrally funded, initiatives services and special allocations (CFISSA) programme from 1997-98 to 2005-06;
	(c) special allocations issued with initial allocations from 1997-98 to 2005-06; and
	(d) special allocations and associated budgets issued to NHS organisations as additional allocations (and which are included in the tables described in (a) and (b) above).
	Full year 2006-07 information and anticipated expenditure in 2007-08 on centrally funded initiatives services and special allocations is not yet available. This information will be contained within the 2006-07 Departmental Report that has an estimated publishing date of May 2007.

NHS: Finance

Greg Clark: To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to the written ministerial statement of 28 March 2007, on changes to the NHS resource accounting and budgeting (RAB) regime, why the Maidstone and Tunbridge Wells NHS Trust was omitted from the list of trusts receiving the reversal of RAB income deductions.

Andy Burnham: The reversals set out in the written ministerial statement of 28 March 2007,  Official Report, columns 96-98WS, are for income deductions applied to NHS trusts in 2006-07 as a result of deficits incurred during 2005-06. No such income deduction was made to Maidstone and Tunbridge Wells NHS Trust as the trust's financial position reported in the 2005-06 final accounts was a surplus of 112,000.
	Under the new rules, NHS trusts that had income deductions made in years prior to 2006-07 will be able to agree a disregard for these deductions in the calculation of their statutory breakeven duty. This means that they will no longer have to generate a surplus to recover any part of their cumulative deficit that arose solely from the application of resource accounting and budgeting (RAB) income deductions.
	Maidstone and Tunbridge Wells NHS Trust will therefore need to agree with its auditors the impact on its breakeven duty of any RAB income deductions applied in 2005-06 and earlier years. The breakeven note would then be adjusted to exclude these in the 2006-07 final accounts.

NHS: Finance

Iain Wright: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment she has made of the effectiveness of local improvement finance trusts in the  (a) commissioning,  (b) financing and  (c) building of local primary care health facilities.

Andy Burnham: The NHS Plan (2000) introduced national health service local improvement finance trusts (LIFT) as a way of supporting the delivery of more investment in primary care premises. LIFT is providing modern integrated super surgeries, often in the heart of deprived communities. As of 31 March 2007, it has delivered 115 new buildings open to patients with another 74 under construction, supported by over 1.2 billion of investment. The NAO report on LIFT, Innovation in the NHS, noted that LIFT is well designed and offered advantages over other forms of procurement.
	Information is not held centrally to allow for an assessment on the effectiveness of the buildings commissioning period for each scheme. It is for PCTs to manage the commissioning of their new facilities.
	Information is not held centrally to allow for an assessment of effectiveness of the financing of each individual scheme. However, as part of the business case approval for each scheme financing terms are assessed, with the support of expert financial advice. The Department is also assembling benchmarking data to support this analysis in current and future LIFTs.
	The Department as part of its Better Healthcare Buildings policy initiative is working closely with the commission for architecture and the built environment who have undertaken a detailed design quality survey of a representational cross section of primary care buildings procured under the LIFT initiative. They are preparing findings, which the Department will learn from and implement policy aimed at continually raising the standards of LIFT buildings.

NHS: Finance

Norman Lamb: To ask the Secretary of State for Health when the NHS accounts for the financial year 2006-07 will be published.

Andy Burnham: Individual national health service accounts must, by statute, be published locally on or before 30 September 2007. The Department expects that this date will be met or bettered by all NHS bodies.
	The Department plans to submit draft summarised accounts that consolidate NHS bodies' accounts to the National Audit Office for review by 20 August 2007. The date of publication is a matter for the Comptroller and Auditor General and depends on the date of completion of the audit process.

NHS: ICT

Norman Lamb: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many trusts she expects to meet the Patient Administration System implementation deadline of 23 April; and if she will make a statement.

Caroline Flint: The information is in the table.
	
		
			  Patient administration systems (PAS) implemented in:  Deployments to date  Additional deployments planned to be completed by 23 April 2007 
			 Acute Trusts 19 4 
			 Primary Care Trusts 94 5 
			 Primary Care Trusts (PAS with additional clinical functionality) 89 0 
			 Mental Health Trusts 17 0 
			 Total 219 9 
		
	
	The national health service is in the process of moving from being an organisation with fragmented or incomplete systems, with physical processing and storage of records on paper, to a position where national systems are fully integrated, record keeping is digital, and patients have unprecedented access to their personal health records. PAS systems that are compliant with other applications delivered through the national programme for information technology are a key element of this process.
	The national programme is providing essential services to support patient care and the smooth running of the NHS, without which it could already not properly function. Thousands of national and local systems have already been successfully deployed on time, including widespread coverage of community PAS where none existed previously. Almost two thirds of hospitals now have digital X-rays and scans, and at the heart of the programme is the NHS care records service which will in due course provide a lifelong electronic personal health record for NHS patients in England.

NHS: Procurement

Dai Havard: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what requirement her Department makes of NHS Supply Chain  (a) to consider and  (b) to implement the recommendations on medical devices of the Centre for Evidence-Based Purchasing.

Andy Burnham: The agreement with DHL requires NHS Supply Chain to comply with government policies on request. NHS Supply Chain is already committed to liaise closely with the Centre for Evidence-based Purchasing either directly or through the NHS Purchasing and Supply Agency.

NHS: Procurement

Dai Havard: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if she will issue guidance on best practice on the composition of specialised clinical assessment groups within NHS Supply Chain.

Andy Burnham: NHS Supply Chain has no current plans to release guidance on best practise for the composition of specialised clinical assessment groups.

NHS: Procurement

Dai Havard: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what mechanisms her Department has in place to assess whether NHS Supply Chain's procurement process has improved access to medical technologies for patients; and if she will make a statement.

Andy Burnham: The Department has mechanisms in place to monitor the overall performance of NHS Supply Chain.
	The establishment of clinical councils, to help determine what products the national health service requires, will enable clinicians or other trust representatives to raise any failing in trust's access to medical technologies for their patients.
	There is a process whereby issues can be escalated to the NHS BSA (Supply Chain Management Division), and ultimately a joint board chaired by the Department's Commercial Director General.

NHS: Procurement

Dai Havard: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what mechanisms her Department has in place to assess whether NHS Supply Chain's procurement process will produce long-term savings of  (a) patient bed days,  (b) nursing time and  (c) repeat procedures; and if she will make a statement.

Andy Burnham: The contract with NHS Supply Chain will measure savings based on the reduction to buy price for the national health service.

NHS: Publications

Andrew Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the cost to the public purse was for the publication and distribution, including by Braille, audio and large print editions, of 'Days out in the NHS: Listening to the NHS Staff', published by her Department on 31 January.

Andy Burnham: The total cost was 2,905. This was a web-only publication and therefore no printing or distribution costs. No Braille, audio or large-print versions have been produced.

Northern Lincolnshire and Goole Hospitals NHS Trust: Maternity Services

David Davis: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many maternity beds were provided by the Northern Lincolnshire and Goole Hospitals NHS Trust in each of the last three years.

Andy Burnham: The information requested is shown in the table. Beds data is collected annually and 2006-07 figures will not be available until August 2007.
	
		
			  Average daily number of maternity beds, United Lincolnshire and Goole Hospitals National Health Service Trust 2003-04 to 2005-06 
			   Number of  b eds 
			 2003-04 102 
			 2004-05 108 
			 2005-06 115 
			  Source: Department of Health dataset KH03.

Nurses: Pay

Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the starting pay was for nurses at today's prices in each of the last 20 years.

Rosie Winterton: holding answer 5 March 2007
	The starting pay for a newly qualified nurse at 2006-07 prices in each of the last 20 years is set out in the following table.
	
		
			   
			   Starting pay cash( 1,)( )( 2)  Starting pay real terms( 3) 
			 1987-88 7,300 13,955 
			 1988-89 8,025 14,341 
			 1989-90 8,565 14,285 
			 1990-91 9,335 14,436 
			 1991-92 10,230 14,908 
			 1992-93 10,820 15,276 
			 1993-94 10,980 15,108 
			 1994-95 11,320 15,344 
			 1995-96(4) 11,605 15,266 
			 1996-97 11,895 15,138 
			 1997-98 12,385 15,316 
			 1998-99 12,855 15,504 
			 1999-00 14,400 17,023 
			 2000-01 14,890 17,358 
			 2001-02 15,445 17,587 
			 2002-03 16,005 17,678 
			 2003-04 16,525 17,725 
			 2004-05(5) 18,114 18,909 
			 2005-06 18,698 19,155 
			 2006-07 19,166 19,166 
			 (1) Starting pay for a newly qualified nurse is normally the minimum of the grade applicable to basic grade qualified nurses. (2) The grades applicable to basic grade qualified nurses in the years set out in the table are as follows:- 1977-78 to 1987-88 Staff Nurse 1988-89 to 2003-04 D Grade 2004-05 to 2006-07 Agenda for Change Band 5 Figures given are for the minimum of these grades in the year in question, including any staged increases. (3) Real terms in 2006-07 prices. (4) The starting pay given for 1995-96 is the rate for non-trust staff. (5) The starting pay given for 2004-05 is the minimum of the Agenda for Change Band 5 scale at the effective date of implementation of Agenda for Change on 1 October 2004.

Obesity: Surgery

Julia Goldsworthy: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the average wait for gastric bypass surgery was in each hospital trust in the last period for which figures are available.

Caroline Flint: The figures are shown in the table.
	
		
			  Median  time waited for finished admission episodes with an elective waiting list or booked admission and a main operation of gastric bypass surgery by treatment provider  for 2005-06 
			  NHS Hospitals, England  Method of Admission 11 Elective - from waiting list and 12 Electivebooked 
			  Gastric Bypass Surgery defined by OPCS4.2 Codes: G01.2, G01.3, G27.1, G27.2, G27.3, G27.4, G27.5, G27.8, G27.9, G28.1, G28.2, G28.3, G28.8, G28.9, G31.1, G31.2, G31.3, G31.4, G31.8, G31.9, G31.0, G32.1, G32.2, G32.3, G32.8, G32.9, G32.0, G33.1, G33.2, G33.3, G33.8, G33.9, G33.0 
			  Provider  c ode  Provider  d escription  Median  waiting time  (days)  Total  e pisodes 
			 RA2 Royal Surrey County Hospital NHS Trust 13 8 
			 RA3 Weston Area Health NHS Trust   
			 RA7 United Bristol Healthcare NHS Trust 14 25 
			 RA9 South Devon Health Care NHS Trust   
			 RAE Bradford Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust 11 18 
			 RAJ Southend Hospital NHS Trust   
			 RAL Royal Free Hampstead NHS Trust 13 9 
			 RAX Kingston Hospital NHS Trust   
			 RBA Taunton and Somerset NHS Trust 86 36 
			 RBD West Dorset General Hospitals NHS Trust   
			 RBK Walsall Hospitals NHS Trust 132 25 
			 RBL Wirral Hospital NHS Trust 5 18 
			 RBN St. Helens and Knowsley Hospitals NHS Trust 15 8 
			 RBQ The Cardiothoracic CentreLiverpool NHS Trust   
			 RBS Royal Liverpool Children's NHS Trust   
			 RBT The Mid Cheshire Hospitals NHS Trust   
			 RC1 Bedford Hospital NHS Trust   
			 RC3 Ealing Hospital NHS Trust   
			 RC9 Luton and Dunstable Hospital NHS Trust 85 17 
			 RCB York Hospitals NHS Trust 264 44 
			 RCC Scarborough and North East Yorkshire Health Care NHS Trust   
			 RCD Harrogate and District NHS Foundation Trust   
			 RCF Airedale NHS Trust   
			 RCS Nottingham City Hospital NHS Trust 10 33 
			 RCX The Queen Elizabeth Hospital King's Lynn NHS Trust   
			 RD1 Royal United Hospital Bath NHS Trust 18 7 
			 RD3 Poole Hospital NHS Trust   
			 RD7 Heatherwood and Wexham Park Hospitals NHS Trust 17 6 
			 RDD Basildon and Thurrock University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust 19 11 
			 RDE Essex Rivers Healthcare NHS Trust   
			 RDU Frimley Park Hospital NHS Foundation Trust 16 14 
			 RDZ Royal Bournemouth and Christchurch Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust   
			 REF Royal Cornwall Hospitals NHS Trust 25 11 
			 REM Aintree Hospitals NHS Trust 34 14 
			 RF4 Barking, Havering and Redbridge Hospitals NHS Trust 26 11 
			 RFF Barnsley District General Hospital NHS Foundation Trust 13 6 
			 RFK Queen's Medical Centre, Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust   
			 RFR The Rotherham NHS Foundation Trust   
			 RFS Chesterfield Royal Hospital NHS Foundation Trust 6 8 
			 RG2 Queen Elizabeth Hospital NHS Trust 15 6 
			 RG3-X Bromley Hospitals NHS Trust 15 6 
			 RGC Whipps Cross University Hospital NHS Trust 24 6 
			 RGN Peterborough and Stamford Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust 28 14 
			 RGP James Paget Healthcare NHS Trust   
			 RGQ Ipswich Hospital NHS Trust 25 20 
			 RGT Cambridge University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust 11 18 
			 RGZ Queen Mary's Sidcup NHS Trust   
			 RH8 Royal Devon and Exeter NHS Foundation Trust 19 15 
			 RHM Southampton University Hospitals NHS Trust 17 17 
			 RHQ Sheffield Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust 214 129 
			 RHU Portsmouth Hospitals NHS Trust 12 21 
			 RHW Royal Berkshire and Battle Hospitals NHS Trust   
			 RJ1 Guy's and St. Thomas' NHS Foundation Trust 19 40 
			 RJ2 The Lewisham Hospital NHS Trust   
			 RJ5 St. Mary's NHS Trust 10 11 
			 RJ7 St. George's Healthcare NHS Trust 160 39 
			 RJC South Warwickshire General Hospitals NHS Trust   
			 RJD-X Mid Staffordshire General Hospitals NHS Trust   
			 RJE University Hospital of North Staffordshire NHS Trust 14 25 
			 RJF Burton Hospitals NHS Trust   
			 RJL-X Northern Lincolnshire and Goole Hospitals NHS Trust 11 9 
			 RJN East Cheshire NHS Trust   
			 RJR Countess of Chester Hospital NHS Foundation Trust   
			 RJZ King's College Hospital NHS Trust 236 29 
			 RK5 Sherwood Forest Hospitals NHS Trust   
			 RK9 Plymouth Hospitals NHS Trust 13 20 
			 RKB University Hospitals Coventry and Warwickshire NHS Trust 14 24 
			 RKE The Whittington Hospital NHS Trust   
			 RL4 The Royal Wolverhampton Hospitals NHS Trust 15 8 
			 RLN City Hospitals Sunderland NHS Foundation Trust   
			 RLQ Hereford Hospitals NHS Trust 13 6 
			 RM1 Norfolk and Norwich University Hospital NHS Trust 13 11 
			 RM2 South Manchester University Hospitals NHS Trust 19 9 
			 RM3 Salford Royal Hospitals NHS Trust 12 11 
			 RMC Bolton Hospitals NHS Trust   
			 RMP Tameside and Glossop Acute Services NHS Trust 9 11 
			 RN1-X Winchester and Eastleigh Healthcare NHS Trust   
			 RN3 Swindon and Marlborough NHS Trust   
			 RN5-X North Hampshire Hospitals NHS Trust   
			 RN7 Dartford and Gravesham NHS Trust   
			 RNA Dudley Group of Hospitals NHS Trust 13 9 
			 RNJ Barts and The London NHS Trust 6 29 
			 RNL North Cumbria Acute Hospitals NHS Trust 5 13 
			 RNQ Kettering General Hospital NHS Trust   
			 RNS Northampton General Hospital NHS Trust 23 8 
			 RNZ Salisbury Health Care NHS Trust 39 6 
			 RP4 Great Ormond Street Hospital for Children NHS Trust   
			 RP5 Doncaster and Bassetlaw Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust 9 12 
			 RPL Worthing and Southlands Hospitals NHS Trust   
			 RPR Royal West Sussex NHS Trust   
			 RPY The Royal Marsden NHS Foundation Trust 14 26 
			 RQ3 Birmingham Children's Hospital NHS Trust   
			 RQ6 Royal Liverpool and Broadgreen University Hospitals NHS Trust 4 27 
			 RQ8 Mid Essex Hospital Services NHS Trust 11 10 
			 RQM Chelsea and Westminster Healthcare NHS Trust 161 10 
			 RQN Hammersmith Hospitals NHS Trust 8 23 
			 RQW The Princess Alexandra Hospital NHS Trust   
			 RQX Homerton University Hospital NHS Foundation Trust 72 21 
			 RR1 Heart of England NHS Foundation Trust 7 19 
			 RR2 Isle of Wight Healthcare NHS Trust   
			 RR7 Gateshead Health NHS Foundation Trust   
			 RR8 Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust 116 77 
			 RRF Wrightington, Wigan and Leigh NHS Trust 9 6 
			 RRK University Hospital Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust 14 47 
			 RRV University College London Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust 13 24 
			 RT3 Royal Brompton and Harefield NHS Trust   
			 RTD The Newcastle-upon-Tyne Hospitals NHS Trust 6 52 
			 RTE Gloucestershire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust 14 10 
			 RTF Northumbria Health Care NHS Trust   
			 RTG Derby Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust 15 15 
			 RTH Oxford Radcliffe Hospitals NHS Trust 13 20 
			 RTK Ashford and St. Peter's Hospitals NHS Trust   
			 RTP Surrey and Sussex Healthcare NHS Trust   
			 RTR South Tees Hospitals NHS Trust 16 19 
			 RTX University Hospitals of Morecambe Bay NHS Trust 10 9 
			 RV8 North West London Hospitals NHS Trust 12 11 
			 RVJ North Bristol NHS Trust   
			 RVL Barnet and Chase Farm Hospitals NHS Trust 9 8 
			 RW East Kent Hospitals NHS Trust 14 7 
			 RVW North Tees and Hartlepool NHS Trust 13 8 
			 RVY Southport and Ormskirk Hospital NHS Trust   
			 RW3 Central Manchester and Manchester Children's University Hospitals NHS Trust 23 10 
			 RW6 Pennine Acute Hospitals NHS Trust 10 28 
			 RWA Hull and East Yorkshire Hospitals NHS Trust 181 103 
			 RWD United Lincolnshire Hospitals NHS Trust 24 18 
			 RWE University Hospitals of Leicester NHS Trust 29 64 
			 RWF Maidstone and Tunbridge Wells NHS Trust 40 10 
			 RWG West Hertfordshire Hospitals NHS Trust 19 12 
			 RWH East and North Hertfordshire NHS Trust   
			 RWJ Stockport NHS Foundation Trust 16 8 
			 RWP-X Worcestershire Acute Hospitals NHS Trust 14 11 
			 RWW North Cheshire Hospitals NHS Trust 28 9 
			 RWY Calderdale and Huddersfield NHS Trust 22 9 
			 RXC East Sussex Hospitals NHS Trust   
			 RXF-X Mid Yorkshire Hospitals NHS Trust 10 22 
			 RXH Brighton and Sussex University Hospitals NHS Trust 27 10 
			 RXL Blackpool, Fylde and Wyre Hospitals NHS Trust 20 11 
			 RXN Lancashire Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust 0 7 
			 RXP County Durham and Darlington Acute Hospitals NHS Trust   
			 RXQ Buckinghamshire Hospitals NHS Trust 14 7 
			 RXR East Lancashire Hospitals NHS Trust 9 16 
			 RXW Shrewsbury and Telford Hospital NHS Trust 14 12 
			  Finished admission episodes A finished admission episode is the first period of in-patient care under one consultant within one health care provider. Please note that admissions do not represent the number of in-patients, as a person may have more than one admission within the year.  Main Operation The main operation is the first recorded operation in the HES data set and is usually the most resource intensive procedure performed during the episode. It is appropriate to use main operation when looking at admission details, e.g. time waited, but the figures for all operations count of episodes give a more complete count of episodes with an operation.  Time Waited (days) Time waited statistics from Hospital Episode Statistics (HES) are not the same as the published waiting list statistics. HES provides counts and time waited for all patients admitted to hospital within a given period whereas the published waiting list statistics count those waiting for treatment on a specific date and how long they have been on the waiting list. Also, HES calculates the time waited as the difference between the admission and decision to admit dates. Unlike published waiting list statistics, this is not adjusted for self-deferrals or periods of medical/social suspension.  Data Quality Hospital Episode Statistics (HES) are compiled from data sent by over 300 NHS trusts and primary care trusts (PCTs) in England. The Information Centre for health and social care liaises closely with these organisations to encourage submission of complete and valid data and seeks to minimise inaccuracies and the effect of missing and invalid data via HES processes. While this brings about improvement over time, some shortcomings remain.   Ungrossed Data Figures have not been adjusted for shortfalls in data (i.e. the data are ungrossed).  Low Numbers Due to reasons of confidentiality, episodes figures between 1 and 5 and their corresponding waiting times have been suppressed and replaced with .  Source: Hospital Episode Statistics (HES), The Information Centre for Health  Social Care.

Out-patients: Eastbourne

Nigel Waterson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what proportion of Eastbourne Downs NHS Primary Care Trust outpatients have been discharged back to their GP for their follow-up appointment in the last 12 months.

Andy Burnham: The information requested is not collected centrally.

Patients: Surveys

Richard Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the total cost was of the recent GP patient survey sent by post to 5 million patients carried out by MORI.

Andy Burnham: The 2006-07 general practitioner patient survey was launched in January 2007. The final date for the return of patient questionnaires was 5 April. The total cost will depend upon the survey results which will be made available when the questionnaires are returned and analysed. It is not therefore possible to give a final figure for the total cost until this is complete. The budgeted cost, however, for administration of the survey in 2006-07 is 11 million.

Pharmacy

James McGovern: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  whether she has met  (a) pharmacists and  (b) pharmaceutical wholesalers to discuss the supply network for British pharmaceuticals since Pfizer began distributing their products through a single company;
	(2)  whether she has received any representations on the operation of Pfizer's new distribution model for pharmaceuticals;
	(3)  whether she has met  (a) Pfizer and  (b) UniChem to discuss the operation of their pharmaceutical distribution network;
	(4)  what assessment she has made of the extent to which the operation of Pfizer's new distribution model for pharmaceuticals meets the guarantees provided to her Department in October 2006.

Caroline Flint: Ministers have had no meetings with representatives of Pfizer, UniChem, pharmacists or the pharmaceutical wholesale industry, since the launch of Pfizer's new distribution arrangements on 5 March, to discuss these new arrangements.
	Since the launch of the new arrangements, the Department has received eight written representations, as of 2 April, not including the four questions asked by the hon. Member. Officials in the Department continue to monitor the operation of the new system.

Pregnancy

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the average age of primagravidas in England was in each of the last five years.

Rosie Winterton: This information is not available in the format requested. However, data derived from Hospital Episode Statistics (HES) shows the age at which it is most common for women to give birth for the first time over the past five years. This is shown in the table as follows.
	
		
			  1 April to 31 March:  Age in years 
			 2001-02 30 
			 2002-03 30 
			 2003-04 29 
			 2004-05 30 
			 2005-06 30

Primary Care Trusts: Per Capita Costs

James Clappison: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much funding was received by each primary care trust per head of population in the most recent year for which figures are available listed in descending order.

Andy Burnham: 2007-08 revenue allocations were announced in February 2005 for 303 primary care trusts (PCTs). The following table shows allocations per head of population for 152 PCTs following the reduction in their number on 1 October 2006.
	
		
			  2007-08 revenue allocations per head of population in descending order 
			  PCT  2007-08 allocation per head () 
			 Islington PCT 1,956 
			 Tower Hamlets PCT 1,843 
			 Southwark PCT 1,825 
			 City and Hackney Teaching PCT 1,818 
			 Knowsley PCT 1,816 
			 Lambeth PCT 1,812 
			 Liverpool PCT 1,788 
			 Lewisham PCT 1,743 
			 Camden PCT 1,727 
			 Manchester PCT 1,723 
			 Salford PCT 1,717 
			 Newham PCT 1,714 
			 South Tyneside PCT 1,639 
			 Blackpool PCT 1,636 
			 Brent Teaching PCT 1,632 
			 Sunderland Teaching PCT 1,632 
			 Gateshead PCT 1,629 
			 Middlesbrough PCT 1,626 
			 Hammersmith and Fulham PCT 1,626 
			 Newcastle PCT 1,615 
			 Redcar and Cleveland PCT 1,601 
			 Hartlepool PCT 1,600 
			 Wirral PCT 1,595 
			 Haringey Teaching PCT 1,595 
			 Halton and St. Helens PCT 1,586 
			 Heart of Birmingham Teaching PCT 1,586 
			 Barking and Dagenham PCT 1,581 
			 County Durham PCT 1,575 
			 Hastings and Rother PCT 1,571 
			 Westminster PCT 1,564 
			 Stoke On Trent PCT 1,559 
			 Greenwich Teaching PCT 1,558 
			 Sefton PCT 1,556 
			 Sandwell PCT 1,554 
			 Wandsworth PCT 1,538 
			 Barnsley PCT 1,537 
			 Heywood, Middleton and Rochdale PCT 1,536 
			 Waltham Forest PCT 1,531 
			 Walsall Teaching PCT 1,526 
			 Ealing PCT 1,516 
			 Blackburn with Darwen PCT 1,514 
			 Sheffield PCT 1,512 
			 Hull PCT 1,511 
			 Wolverhampton City PCT 1,511 
			 Oldham PCT 1,511 
			 Birmingham East and North PCT 1,509 
			 Darlington PCT 1,508 
			 Tameside and Glossop PCT 1,504 
			 Doncaster PCT 1,499 
			 North Tyneside PCT 1,497 
			 Peterborough PCT 1,494 
			 East Lancashire PCT 1,490 
			 South Birmingham PCT 1,489 
			 Nottingham City PCT 1,483 
			 Ashton, Leigh and Wigan PCT 1,483 
			 Rotherham PCT 1,480 
			 Hounslow PCT 1,477 
			 Coventry Teaching PCT 1,466 
			 Torbay Care Trust 1,464 
			 Wakefield District PCT 1,464 
			 Bolton PCT 1,457 
			 Brighton and Hove City PCT 1,449 
			 Bradford and Airedale PCT 1,444 
			 Great Yarmouth and Waveney PCT 1,441 
			 Isle of Wight NHS PCT 1,440 
			 Enfield PCT 1,432 
			 Leeds PCT 1,422 
			 North East Lincolnshire PCT 1,417 
			 Leicester City PCT 1,416 
			 Calderdale PCT 1,415 
			 Kensington and Chelsea PCT 1,407 
			 North Lancashire PCT 1,406 
			 Trafford PCT 1,405 
			 Bournemouth and Poole PCT 1,405 
			 Northumberland Care Trust 1,404 
			 Plymouth Teaching PCT 1,402 
			 Eastern and Coastal Kent PCT 1,401 
			 Bristol PCT 1,398 
			 East Sussex Downs and Weald PCT 1,396 
			 Harrow PCT 1,396 
			 Cumbria PCT 1,389 
			 Redbridge PCT 1,384 
			 Havering PCT 1,384 
			 Portsmouth City Teaching PCT 1,382 
			 Central Lancashire PCT 1,374 
			 Barnet PCT 1,374 
			 North East Essex PCT 1,373 
			 North Staffordshire PCT 1,365 
			 Kirklees PCT 1,364 
			 Western Cheshire PCT 1,363 
			 Bury PCT 1,362 
			 Croydon PCT 1,359 
			 Luton PCT 1,359 
			 Hillingdon PCT 1,358 
			 Stockport PCT 1,356 
			 Southampton City PCT 1,353 
			 Dudley PCT 1,349 
			 Bassetlaw PCT 1,348 
			 Sutton and Merton PCT 1,347 
			 North Tees PCT 1,344 
			 Cornwall and Isles of Scilly PCT 1,339 
			 Warrington PCT 1,339 
			 Bexley Care Trust 1,339 
			 South West Essex PCT 1,337 
			 North Lincolnshire PCT 1,337 
			 West Sussex PCT 1,336 
			 Derbyshire County PCT 1,336 
			 South East Essex PCT 1,334 
			 Nottinghamshire County PCT 1,329 
			 Derby City PCT 1,327 
			 Dorset PCT 1,319 
			 Devon PCT 1,318 
			 West Essex PCT 1,315 
			 Bromley PCT 1,306 
			 Lincolnshire PCT 1,302 
			 Solihull Care Trust 1,297 
			 Norfolk PCT 1,295 
			 Swindon PCT 1,288 
			 North Somerset PCT 1,288 
			 Telford and Wrekin PCT 1,282 
			 Central and Eastern Cheshire PCT 1,282 
			 Kingston PCT 1,280 
			 Somerset PCT 1,276 
			 Herefordshire PCT 1,274 
			 Richmond and Twickenham PCT 1,273 
			 Northamptonshire PCT 1,269 
			 Shropshire County PCT 1,268 
			 Gloucestershire PCT 1,261 
			 Surrey PCT 1,258 
			 West Hertfordshire PCT 1,257 
			 Medway PCT 1,254 
			 East Riding Of Yorkshire PCT 1,248 
			 Berkshire East PCT 1,243 
			 Warwickshire PCT 1,241 
			 Worcestershire PCT 1,239 
			 West Kent PCT 1,239 
			 North Yorkshire and York PCT 1,238 
			 South Staffordshire PCT 1,234 
			 Bath and North East Somerset PCT 1,230 
			 Suffolk PCT 1,227 
			 East and North Hertfordshire PCT 1,220 
			 Hampshire PCT 1,212 
			 Milton Keynes PCT 1,201 
			 Wiltshire PCT 1,194 
			 Bedfordshire PCT 1,185 
			 Oxfordshire PCT 1,171 
			 Buckinghamshire PCT 1,168 
			 Cambridgeshire PCT 1,160 
			 Berkshire West PCT 1,155 
			 Mid Essex PCT 1,150 
			 South Gloucestershire PCT 1,143 
			 Leicestershire County and Rutland PCT 1,140 
			 England average 1,388

Primary Care Trusts: Planning

David Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  which primary care trusts (PCTs) are  (a) reviewing and  (b) formally consulting on the future provision of hospital-based services; and by what means she proposes to inform Parliament on progress and decisions made in each PCT area;
	(2)  which primary care trusts are  (a) reviewing and  (b) consulting on the provision of (i) acute services, (ii) accident and emergency provision and (iii) maternity provision in their areas.

Andy Burnham: Any proposals for the reconfiguration of services are a matter for the national health service locally.
	There is a well established and well understood process for managing formal public consultations on proposals for major service change so that the public and other stakeholders can help to inform the local debate.

Primary Care Trusts: Prisons

Jeremy Browne: To ask the Secretary of State for Health which primary care trusts have a prison facility within the geographical area they cover.

Rosie Winterton: holding answer 27 March 2007
	The information requested is shown in the table. The list does not include private prisons, for which primary care trusts do not have responsibility for commissioning health care.
	
		
			  Primary  care trust  (PCT)  Prison establishments for which the PCT has responsibility for commissioning healthcare 
			 Ashton, Leigh and Wigan PCT HMP Hindley 
			  HMP Risley 
			   
			 Bassetlaw PCT HMP Ramby 
			   
			 Bedfordshire PCT HMP Bedford 
			   
			 Berkshire West PCT HMP Reading 
			   
			 Bristol PCT HMP Bristol 
			   
			 Buckinghamshire PCT HMP Aylesbury 
			  HMP Grendon/Spring Hill 
			   
			 Cambridgeshire PCT HMP Littlehey 
			  HMP Whitemoor 
			   
			 Central and Eastern Cheshire PCT HMP Styal 
			   
			 Central Lancashire PCT HMP Garth 
			  HMP Preston 
			  HMP Wymott 
			   
			 County Durham PCT HMP Deerbolt 
			  HMP Durham 
			  HMP Frankland 
			  HMP Low Newton 
			   
			 Cumbria PCT HMP Haverigg 
			   
			 Derbyshire County PCT HMP Foston Hall 
			  HMP Sudbury 
			   
			 Devon PCT HMP Channings Wood 
			  HMP Dartmoor 
			  HMP Exeter 
			   
			 Doncaster PCT HMP Lindholme 
			  HMP Moorland 
			   
			 Dorset PCT HMP Dorchester 
			  HMP Guys Marsh 
			  HMP Portland 
			  HMP The Verne 
			  HMP Weare 
			   
			 East Riding of Yorkshire PCT HMP Everthorpe 
			  HMP Full Sutton 
			   
			 East Sussex Downs and Weald PCT HMP Lewes 
			   
			 Eastern and Coastal Kent PCT HMP Canterbury 
			  HMP Elmley 
			  HMP Stanford Hill 
			  HMP Swaleside 
			   
			 Gloucestershire PCT HMP Gloucester 
			  HMP Eastwood Park 
			  HMP Leyhill 
			   
			 Great Yarmouth and Waveney PCT HMP Blundeston 
			   
			 Greenwich PCT HMP Belmarsh 
			   
			 Hammersmith and Fulham PCT HMP Wormwood Scrubs 
			   
			 Hampshire PCT HMP Winchester 
			   
			 Heart of Birmingham Teaching PCT HMP Birmingham 
			   
			 Heywood, Middleton and Rochdale PCT HMP Buckley Hall 
			   
			 Hounslow PCT HMP Feltham 
			   
			 Hull PCT HMP Hull 
			   
			 Isle of Wight NHS PCT HMP Albany 
			  HMP Camp Hill 
			  HMP Parkhurst 
			   
			 Islington PCT HMP Holloway 
			  HMP Pentonville 
			   
			 Lambeth PCT HMP Brixton 
			   
			 Leeds PCT HMP Leeds 
			  HMP Wealstun 
			  HMP Wetherby 
			   
			 Leicestershire County and Rutland PCT HMP Ashwell 
			  HMP Gartree 
			  HMP Glen Parva 
			  HMP Stocken 
			  HMP Leicester 
			   
			 Lincolnshire PCT HMP Lincoln 
			  HMP Morton Hall 
			  HMP North Sea Camp 
			   
			 Liverpool PCT HMP Liverpool 
			   
			 Manchester PCT HMP Manchester 
			   
			 Medway PCT HMP Cookham Wood 
			  HMP Rochester 
			   
			 Mid Essex PCT HMP Chelmsford 
			   
			 Milton Keynes PCT HMP Woodhill 
			   
			 Norfolk PCT HMP Norwich 
			  HMP Wayland 
			   
			 North Lancashire PCT HMP Kirkham 
			  HMP Lancaster Farms 
			  HMP Lancaster Castle 
			   
			 North Staffordshire PCT HMP Werrington 
			   
			 North Tees PCT HMP Holme House 
			  HMP Kirklevington Grange 
			   
			 North Yorkshire and York PCT HMP Askham Grange 
			  HMP Northallerton 
			   
			 Northamptonshire PCT HMP Onley 
			  HMP Wellingborough 
			   
			 Northumberland Care Trust HMP Acklington 
			  HMP Castington 
			   
			 Nottingham City PCT HMP Nottingham 
			   
			 Nottinghamshire County PCT HMP Whatton 
			   
			 Oxfordshire PCT HMP Bullingdon 
			  HMP Huntercombe 
			   
			 Portsmouth City PCT HMP Kingston 
			   
			 Richmond and Twickenham PCT HMP Latchmere House 
			   
			 Shropshire County PCT HMP Shrewsbury 
			  HMP Stoke Heath 
			   
			 Somerset PCT HMP Shepton Mallet 
			   
			 South East Essex PCT HMP Bullwood Hall 
			   
			 South Staffordshire PCT HMP Drake Hall 
			  HMP Brinsford 
			  HMP Featherstone 
			  HMP Stafford 
			  HMP Swinfen Hall 
			   
			 Suffolk PCT HMP Edmunds Hill 
			  HMP Warren Hill 
			  HMP Hollesley Bay 
			  HMP Highpoint South 
			   
			 Surrey PCT HMP Coldingley 
			  HMP Downview 
			  HMP High Down 
			  HMP Send 
			   
			 Wakefield District PCT HMP New Hall 
			  HMP Wakefield 
			   
			 Wandsworth PCT HMP Wandsworth 
			   
			 Warrington PCT HMP Thorn Cross 
			   
			 West Hertfordshire PCT HMP The Mount 
			   
			 West Kent PCT HMP Blantyre House 
			  HMP East Sutton Park 
			  HMP Maidstone 
			   
			 West Sussex PCT HMP Ford 
			   
			 Wiltshire PCT HMP Erlestoke 
			   
			 Worcestershire PCT HMP Blakenhurst 
			  HMP Brockhill 
			  HMP Hewell Grange 
			  HMP Long Lartin

Private Sector Treatment

Andrew George: To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to the oral answer of 6 February 2007,  Official Report, column 703, on private sector treatment, what further assessment she has made of the ability of the Bodmin Private Treatment Centre to achieve the 100 per cent. capacity target of its contract throughout the financial year 2006-07; and what proportion of contracted procedures were completed at the  (a) Bodmin and  (b) Plymouth treatment centres in each quarter since the contract commenced, broken down by procedure.

Andy Burnham: The local national health service remains confident that the Bodmin NHS Treatment Centre will reach full utilisation in the near future.
	The Department measures independent sector treatment centre contract performance on the basis of value rather than activity. This is to allow for the variations, which can occur through substitution of activity between procedures of varying value.

Public Health Observatories

Andrew Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health on how many occasions public health observatories have been asked to support the development of health impact assessments since 16 November 2004; and in which cases.

Andy Burnham: The Department does not collect this data. However, our understanding from the Public Health Observatories (PHOs) is that they frequently input into local and regional health impact assessments (HIAs) as well as leading on them.
	All PHOs are involved in HIA support and training activity to varying degrees.
	PHOs utilise the HIA expertise that exists across their network in order to manage the provision of HIA training and support for local/regional colleagues. Through their network, PHOs are able to offer programmes around the country which contribute to educating colleagues about HIA at a variety of levels.

Quality Health Ltd.

Mark Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what communications her Department has had with Quality Health Ltd. since March 2001.

Andy Burnham: The Department is not aware of any direct communications it has had with Quality Health Limited since 2001.

Quality Health Ltd.

Mark Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the total expenditure by  (a) her Department and  (b) NHS organisations was on the services provided by Quality Health Ltd. in each year since March 2001.

Andy Burnham: The Department has not paid anything to Quality Health Ltd. since 2001. The information requested in respect of the national health service is not held by the Department.

Russells Hall Hospital

David Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to the answer of 2 March 2007 to the hon. Member for Ludlow (Mr. Dunne),  Official Report, column 1586W, on Russells Hall Hospital, if she will list the private finance initiative projects where the increase in costs has been met by the Department increasing the revenue allocation for the trust and providing additional capital; and how much this amounted to in each such case.

Andy Burnham: The decision for the Department to meet the additional costs at Russells Hall Hospital arose out of a one off settlement of a contractual dispute between the trust and its private sector partner. To date the Department has not directly met cost increases at any other private finance initiative project.

Scottish Expenditure

Mark Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the total amount of expenditure by her Department in Scotland was in each of the last two years, broken down by constituency.

Andy Burnham: The information requested could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Smoking: Licensed Premises

David Crausby: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  what guidance she has issued on specifications for  (a) size,  (b) content and  (c) colour of no smoking signage in public houses and clubs;
	(2)  what guidance she has issued on specifications and design of smoking shelters in public houses and clubs;
	(3)  what plans there are to provide advisory material for publicans and landlords on implementation of the forthcoming smoking ban in public places;
	(4)  what guidance she has issued on the specifications and design of no smoking signs in public places.

Caroline Flint: The Department is providing a range of information and support to businesses to help them be ready for the implementation of smokefree legislation on 1 July 2007.
	On 23 March 2007, the Department published the guide 'Everything you need to prepare for the new smokefree law on 1 July 2007' with comprehensive information on smokefree legislation for businesses. The guide will be included within a pack to be posted to all employing and trading businesses in England during April and is available to download on the Smokefree England website at:
	www.smokefreeengland.co.uk
	The guidance includes full details of the minimum requirements for signage. The guidance packs that businesses will receive will also include no-smoking signs and other support materials.
	Smokefree legislation will apply to premises that are enclosed and substantially enclosed, which is explained in the guidance. The Department cannot provide specific guidance on the design or construction of smoking shelters.
	Businesses can also contact their local council for information and advice on getting ready for the implementation of smokefree legislation.
	A copy of the guidance is available in the Library.

Smoking: Licensed Premises

Andrew Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment she has made of the likely effect on the numbers of smokers of banning the sale of tobacco in pubs and clubs.

Caroline Flint: The Government have not made an assessment of the likely effect on the numbers of people who smoke of banning the sale of tobacco in pubs and clubs.

Smoking: Public Places

Alan Duncan: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what representations she has received on the health effects of the smoking of shisha pipes in public places.

Caroline Flint: The Health Act 2006 will prohibit smoking in enclosed and substantially enclosed workplaces and public places. Within the Act, smoking refers to smoking tobacco or anything which contains tobacco, or smoking any other substance. The smokefree provisions within the Health Act will therefore apply to the use of waterpipes such as shisha and hookah.
	Smoking of waterpipes was addressed in the regulatory impact assessment for smokefree legislation, the Department's consultation on proposed smokefree regulations and was debated during the passage of the Health Bill through Parliament.
	Representations on the health effects of smoking of waterpipes have referred to World Health Organisation (WHO) advice that using a waterpipe to smoke tobacco poses a serious potential health hazard to smokers and others exposed to the smoke emitted. The WHO advice states that second-hand smoke from waterpipes is a mixture of tobacco smoke in addition to smoke from the fuel, and therefore poses a serious health risk for non-smokers and recommends that waterpipes should be prohibited in public places consistent with bans on cigarette and other forms of tobacco smoking (World Health Organisation (2005) Waterpipe Tobacco Smoke: Health effects, research needs and recommended actions by regulators. WHO, Geneva).
	In February 2007, the American Lung Association published advice titled An emerging deadly trend: waterpipe tobacco use which cited evidence that waterpipe use may increase exposure to carcinogens because smokers use a waterpipe over a much longer period of time, often 40 to 45 minutes, rather than the five to 10 minutes it takes to smoke a cigarette. Due to the longer, more sustained period of inhalation and exposure, a waterpipe smoker may inhale as much smoke as consuming 100 or more cigarettes during a single session. The American Lung Association report concluded that existing evidence on waterpipe smoking shows that it carries many of the same health risks and has been linked to many of the same diseases caused by cigarette smoking.
	Copies of documents referred to are available in the Library.

Smoking: Television

Martin Horwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what research her Department has  (a) commissioned and  (b) evaluated on (i) the prevalence of the depiction of smoking on television and in films and (ii) trends in such depiction over the last 10 years; and if she will make a statement.

Caroline Flint: The Department has not commissioned any surveys on this area. However, we are committed in the 2004 Choosing Health White Paper to pressing the responsible bodies to reduce the depiction of smoking in television and films. As a result, the British Board of Film Classification has revised its guidance to take account of portrayal of smoking in its classification of films. Following pressure from the Department, the Ofcom TV broadcasting guidelines have been tightened up to discourage the portrayal of smoking before the 9.00 pm watershed in a glamorous or positive way, unless editorially necessary. In line with the smokefree law coming into force in July 2007, no smoking will be allowed in this year's Big Brother house.

Soft Drinks

David Crausby: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what estimate she has made of the number of litres of fizzy drinks that have been consumed per person in England over the last 12 months.

Barry Gardiner: I have been asked to reply.
	The Government do not collect specific data on the consumption of fizzy drinks.
	However, according to the Expenditure and Food Survey England, household residents purchased an average of 65 litres of ready-to-drink soft drinks per person in the year from April 2004 to March 2005. This figure includes still and fizzy soft drinks, including fruit juice drinks, but excludes pure fruit juices and smoothies.

Surgery: Eastbourne

Nigel Waterson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many Eastbourne Downs NHS Primary Care Trust patients had their operation cancelled on the day of the operation in each of the last five years, broken down by type of operation.

Andy Burnham: The following table details the number of last minute operations cancelled for non-medical reasons at East Sussex Hospitals National Health Service Trust from 2002-03 to 2006-07.
	
		
			   Number of last minute cancellations for non clinical reasons 
			 2002-03 302 
			 2003-04 375 
			 2004-05 632 
			 2005-06 491 
			 2006-07 93 
			  Note: Data for 2006-07 are for quarter 1 to quarter 3 only.  Source: Department of Health dataset QMCO

Surgery: Eastern Region

David Davis: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many operations were carried out by Hull and East Yorkshire hospitals in each of the last five years; and what the total cost was of these operations.

Andy Burnham: The following table shows the count of procedures for finished consultant episodes carried out in the Hull and East Yorkshire Hospitals National Health Service Trust for 2001-02 to 2005-06. Total costs of operations performed by NHS trusts are not held centrally.
	
		
			   Total number of procedures 
			 2001-2002 83,770 
			 2002-2003 94,954 
			 2003-2004 102,900 
			 2004-2005 104,168 
			 2005-2006 109,316 
			  Notes: OPCS 4.2 codes A01 to X59  Finished Consultant Episode (FCE)  An FCE is defined as a period of admitted patient care under one consultant within one healthcare provider.  All operations count of mentions  These figures represent a count of all mentions of an operation in any of the 12 (4 prior to 2002-03) operation fields in the HES data set. Therefore, if an operation is mentioned in more than one operation field during an episode, all operations are counted.  Main operation  The main operation is the first recorded operation in the HES data set and is usually the most resource intensive procedure performed during the episode. It is appropriate to use main operation when looking at admission details, for example time waited, but the figures for all operations count of episodes give a more complete count of episodes with an operation.  Secondary procedure  As well as the main operative procedure, there are up to 11 (3 prior to 2002-03) secondary operation fields in Hospital Episode Statistics (HES) that show secondary or additional procedures performed on the patient during this episode of care.  Data quality  Hospital Episode Statistics (HES) are compiled from data sent by over 300 NHS Trusts and Primary Care Trusts (PCTs) in England. The Information Centre for health and social care liaises closely with these organisation to encourage submission of complete and valid data and seeks to minimise inaccuracies and the effect of missing and invalid data view HES processes. While this brings about improvement over time, some shortcomings remain.  Ungrossed data  Figures have not been adjusted for shortfalls in data (for example the data are ungrossed).  Source: Hospital Episode Statistics (HES), The Information Centre for health and social care.

Three Rivers Primary Care Trust: Wheelchairs

Anne Main: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what recent  (a) estimate she has made of waiting times for assessments for electrically-powered indoor/outdoor wheelchairs (EPIOC) and  (b) assessment she has made of adequacy of funding for EPIOC in Watford and Three Rivers Primary Care Trust (PCT); and how many people over the age of 18 years in the area covered by the PCT were allocated an EPIOC in each of the last three years.

Rosie Winterton: The Department does not collect information on waiting times for assessments for electrically-powered wheelchairs.
	Funding for all national health service wheelchair services comes out of revenue funding to primary care trusts (PCTs). This funding is not ring-fenced and it is for each PCT to assess local need and allocate funds accordingly.
	Information about funding for the provision of electrically-powered wheelchairs and the number of people aged over 18 years in the area covered by the PCT who have been allocated an electrically-powered indoor/outdoor wheelchair, are not held centrally.

Transplant Surgery

Laurence Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  what regulations govern the transplanting of pig organs into human beings; and if she will make a statement;
	(2)  what regulations govern the use of combined human and pig  (a) organs and  (b) cells for research purposes; and if she will make a statement.

Caroline Flint: To date there have been no human transplant procedures in the United Kingdom using pig organs.
	European Union (EU) legislation on medicinal products (Commission Directive 2003/63/EU) and the Clinical Trials Regulations (2004) make specific provision for such transplantation proposals. In December 2006, the Department issued guidance which covers all aspects of animal to human transplant procedures, which reflect international recommendations. The guidance is available in the Library and from the Departments website:
	www.dh.gov.uk/en/Publicationsandstatistics/Publications/PublicationsPolicyAndGuidance/DH_063075
	In addition, the use of animals in such research, or as sources for clinical animal to human transplantation requires appropriate authorisation under the terms of the Animal (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986, which is the responsibility of the Home Office.
	The Human Fertilisation and Embryology Act 1990 prohibits mixing live human gametes with the live gametes of any animal, except in certain circumstances for testing the fertility or normality of human sperm. The Government have undertaken a wide-ranging review of the law on assisted reproduction and embryology and expects shortly to publish draft legislation for pre-legislative scrutiny.

West Sussex Primary Care Trust: Finance

Andrew Tyrie: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what estimate her Department has made of the projected deficit of the West Sussex Primary Care Trust in the forthcoming financial year 2007-08 if the reconfiguration proposed in Fit for the Future was not to take place.

Caroline Flint: All national health service organisations are currently in the process of finalising their financial plans for 2007-08.

West Sussex Primary Care Trust: Finance

Andrew Tyrie: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what proportion of the deficit of the West Sussex Primary Care Trust is accounted for by secondary care.

Caroline Flint: The information requested is not collected centrally.

Wheelchairs: Waiting Lists

Madeleine Moon: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  what the average waiting time was for provision of a powered wheelchair in each strategic health authority in each of the last five years;
	(2)  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what funding was provided by each strategic health authority for the provision of electric-powered wheelchairs in each of the last five years.

Rosie Winterton: Information about waiting times and funding for provision of electric-powered wheelchairs is not held centrally.
	Funding for national health service wheelchair services comes from revenue funding to primary care trusts (PCTs). It is for each PCT to assess local need and allocate funds accordingly, as funding is not ring fenced.

Worcestershire Acute Hospitals NHS Trust: Ophthalmology

Julie Kirkbride: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many complaints have been received in the last two years concerning eye surgery which took place at the  (a) Alexandra and Princess of Wales,  (b) Worcester Royal and  (c) Kidderminster Hospital.

Andy Burnham: The information requested is not available centrally.

TREASURY

Alcoholic Drinks

David Crausby: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what estimate he has made of the  (a) average per capita and  (b) total amount of alcohol consumed in the UK in each of the last five years.

John Healey: Available statistics are based on the clearances of alcohol products when they are released for consumption in the UK and become liable to duty. Figures on total alcohol clearances and alcohol clearances per adult can be found in the HM Revenue and Customs 'Alcohol Factsheet' section 2, tables 2.1 and 2.3, which are available from the HM Revenue and Customs website address at:
	http://www.uktradeinfo.com/index.cfm?task=factAlcohol

Alcoholic Drinks: Misuse

Nigel Evans: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer in respect of how many deaths in  (a) Ribble Valley and  (b) Lancashire alcohol was cited as the primary cause in each of the last five years; and if he will make a statement.

John Healey: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the National Statistician who has been asked to reply.
	 Letter from Karen Dunnell, dated 16 April 2007:
	As National Statistician, I have been asked to reply to your recent question asking in respect of how many deaths in (a) Kibble Valley and (b) Lancashire alcohol was cited as the primary cause in each of the last five years. (130736)
	The attached table provides the number of deaths with an alcohol-related underlying cause in (a) Ribble Valley local authority district and (b) Lancashire county, from 2001 to 2005 (the latest year available).
	So that comparison over time is for a consistent area, deaths in the current Blackpool and Blackburn with Darwen unitary authorities, which were part of the former County of Lancashire, have not been included for any year.
	
		
			  Table 1. Number of deaths with an alcohol-related underlying cause of death( 1) . Ribble  Valley local authority district and Lancashire county( 2) , 2001 to 2005( 3) 
			  Deaths (persons) 
			   Ribble Valley  Lancashire 
			 2001 5 179 
			 2002 4 162 
			 2003 5 171 
			 2004 8 178 
			 2005 8 198 
			 (1 )Cause of death was defined using the International Classification of Diseases, Tenth Revision (ICD-10). The specific causes of death categorised as alcohol-related, and their corresponding ICD-10 codes, are shown in the following box. (2 )Based on local authority boundaries as of 2007. (3 )Figures are for deaths registered in each calendar year. 
		
	
	
		
			  Box 1. Alcohol-related causes of deathInternational Classification of Diseases., Tenth Revision (ICD-10) 
			  Cause of death  ICD-10 code(s) 
			 Mental and behavioural disorders due to use of alcohol F10 
			 Degeneration of nervous system due to alcohol G31.2 
			 Alcoholic polyneuropathy G62.1 
			 Alcoholic cardiomyopathy I42.6 
			 Alcoholic gastritis K29.2 
			 Alcoholic liver disease K70 
			 Chronic hepatitis, not elsewhere classified K73 
			 Fibrosis and cirrhosis of liver (excl. Biliary cirrhosis) K74 (excl. K74.3-K74.5) 
			 Alcohol induced chronic pancreatitis K86.0 
			 Accidental poisoning by and exposure to alcohol X45 
			 Intentional self-poisoning by and exposure to alcohol X65 
			 Poisoning by and exposure to alcohol, undetermined intent Y15

Alcoholic Drinks: Misuse

Nigel Waterson: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer in how many deaths in  (a) Eastbourne and  (b) East Sussex alcohol was cited as the primary cause in each of the last 10 years.

John Healey: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the National Statistician who has been asked to reply.
	 Letter from Karen Dunnell, dated 16 April 2007:
	As National Statistician, I have been asked to reply to your recent question asking in how many deaths in (a) Eastbourne and (b) East Sussex alcohol was cited as the primary cause in each of the last 10 years. (130962)
	The attached table provides the number of deaths with an alcohol-related underlying cause in (a) Eastbourne local authority and (b) East Sussex county, from 1996 to 2005 (the latest year available).
	So that comparison over time is for a consistent area, deaths in the current Brighton and Hove unitary authority, which was part of the former County of East Sussex, have not been included for any year.
	
		
			  Table 1: Number of deaths with an alcohol-related underlying cause of death( 1) , Eastbourne local authority and East Sussex county( 2) ,1996 to 2005( 3) 
			  Deaths (persons) 
			   Eastbourne  East Sussex 
			 1996 10 40 
			 1997 7 42 
			 1998 10 38 
			 1999 9 36 
			 2000 10 45 
			 2001 17 65 
			 2002 12 55 
			 2003 13 57 
			 2004 18 67 
			 2005 22 61 
			 (1) Cause of death was defined using the International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision (ICD-9) for the years 1996 to 2000, and Tenth Revision (ICD-10) for 2001 onwards. The specific causes of death categorised as alcohol-related, and their corresponding ICD-9 and ICD-10 codes, are shown in the boxes below. The introduction of ICD-10 in 2001 means that the numbers of deaths from this cause before 2001 are not completely comparable with later years.  (2) Based on local authority boundaries as of 2007.  (3) Figures are for deaths registered in each calendar year. 
		
	
	
		
			  Box 1: Alcohol-related causes of deathInternational Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision (ICD-9) 
			  Cause of death  ICD-9 code(s) 
			 Alcoholic psychoses 291 
			 Alcohol dependence syndrome 303 
			 Non-dependent abuse of alcohol 305.0 
			 Alcoholic cardiomyopathy 425.5 
			 Alcoholic fatty liver 571.0 
			 Acute alcoholic hepatitis 571.1 
			 Alcoholic cirrhosis of liver 571.2 
			 Alcoholic liver damage, unspecified 571.3 
			 Chronic hepatitis 571.4 
			 Cirrhosis of liver without mention of alcohol 571.5 
			 Other chronic non-alcoholic liver disease 571.8 
			 Unspecified chronic liver disease without mention of alcohol 571.9 
			 Accidental poisoning by alcohol E860 
		
	
	
		
			  Box 2: Alcohol-related causes of deathInternational Classification of Diseases, Tenth Revision (ICD-10) 
			  Cause of death  ICD-10 code(s) 
			 Mental and behavioural disorders due to use of alcohol F10 
			 Degeneration of nervous system due to alcohol G31.2 
			 Alcoholic polyneuropathy G62.1 
			 Alcoholic cardiomyopathy I42.6 
			 Alcoholic gastritis K29.2 
			 Alcoholic liver disease K70 
			 Chronic hepatitis, not elsewhere classified K73 
			 Fibrosis and cirrhosis of liver (excluding Biliary cirrhosis) K74(1) 
			 Alcohol induced chronic pancreatitis K86.0 
			 Accidental poisoning by and exposure to alcohol X45 
			 Intentional self-poisoning by and exposure to alcohol X65 
			 Poisoning by and exposure to alcohol, undetermined intent Y15 
			 (1 )Excluding K74.3-K74.5.

Assets

Harry Cohen: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will set rules for the appointment of the policyholder advocate which ensure that the person is appointed by someone independent of the company holding the orphan assets; what this advocate's role is; to whom he is responsible; who pays him his remuneration; on what basis the advocate can agree to a different division of the orphan assets on reattribution which is a higher percentage for the shareholders than that required on distribution; how the proportions upon reattribution get decided, and by whom, in cases where the independent policyholder advocate indicates dissent to that which is proposed; and if he will make a statement.

Edward Balls: Supervision of reattribution of inherited estate is the responsibility of the Financial Services Authority (FSA). FSA rules require the appointment of a policyholder advocate either nominated or approved by the FSA. The purpose of the policyholder advocate is to ensure that there will be an independent figure representing policyholders' interests to the firm. The precise role of the policyholder advocate depends on the nature of the firm and its proposed reattribution, but the FSA expects the proposed policyholder advocate to be free from any conflicts of interest which may be detrimental to the interests of the policyholders they represent. Typically, the policyholder advocate will negotiate with the firm on behalf of the with-profits policyholders and advise policyholders on issues such as the allocation of benefits and eligibility. He will also prepare a report on these issues. The FSA expects shareholders to meet a reasonable proportion of the policyholder advocate's costs, for the arrangement to be fair, and for the policyholder advocate to confirm that he is satisfied with it. If no agreement on reattribution is reached, the FSA expects all costs to be met by the party which initiated the process (typically the shareholders). The precise basis on which assets are reattributed will depend on the nature of the firm and the proposed reattribution and is a matter for negotiation between the firm and the policyholder advocate. If the firm decides to make an offer to policyholders which does not have the support of the policyholder advocate, it must tell policyholders why it is doing so. Policyholders may then decide individually whether or not to accept the offer, taking into account the recommendation of the policyholder advocate.

Assets

Harry Cohen: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer 
	(1)  if he will take steps to ensure  (a) fairness to policyholders in the treatment of orphan assets and  (b) that unreasonable dividends do not accrue to shareholders from orphan assets does not happen; and if he will make a statement;
	(2)  if he will introduce rules preventing the reattribution of orphan assets on any basis other than that which would apply to their distribution; and if he will make a statement.

Edward Balls: I refer the hon. Gentleman to the answer I gave him on 29 November 2006,  Official Report, column 729W.

Assets

Harry Cohen: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether a  (a) policyholder and  (b) shareholder is liable for tax on his share of a reallocated orphan asset.

Edward Balls: A policyholder is liable to tax on any distribution of the inherited estate to him as a bonus in the same way as he is liable on any other gain from a life insurance policy. A shareholder is liable to tax on any distribution of the inherited estate in the same way as on any other dividend or distribution by the company to its shareholders.

Assets: Kazakhstan

Greg Hands: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what recent assessment he has made of the effectiveness of the regulations which govern the harbouring of assets such as those acquired by the members of the ruling elite of Kazakhstan; and if he will make a statement.

Geoff Hoon: I have been asked to reply.
	According to the Kazakh constitution, the president is not permitted to hold any other paid positions nor to carry out entrepreneurial activities. The Kazakh Law On Fighting Corruption also requires each state executive to submit annual declarations of income received and property owned within and outside the Republic of Kazakhstan. Other members of the presidential family are entitled to perform entrepreneurial activities and own assets. However, the Law on Parliament stipulates that no deputy of Parliament may be employed in any other paid position and conduct entrepreneurial activity. We look to the Kazakh Government to apply these regulations effectively, but are not privy to the sort of information that would enable us to make an informed assessment.

Budgets

Mark Francois: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will place in the Library a copy of the Treasury's 2007 internal guidance for staff on security procedures for the Budget.

John Healey: Internal guidance on security procedures for the Budget is by its nature confidential and it would be inappropriate for it to be made public.

Cannabis: Death

Nigel Evans: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer 
	(1)  how many people under the age of 25 years committed suicide due to cannabis-induced psychosis in 2006;
	(2)  how many deaths have been attributed to cannabis-induced psychosis in the last five years.

John Healey: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the National Statistician, who has been asked to reply.
	 Letter from Colin Mowl, dated 16 April 2007:
	The National Statistician has been asked to reply to your recent questions asking how many people under the age of 25 years committed suicide due to cannabis-induced psychosis in 2006 and how many deaths have been attributed to cannabis-induced psychosis in the last five years. I am replying in her absence. (131201, 131202)
	The most recent year for which figures are available is 2005. In England and Wales there were no suicides(1) in that year where psychosis due to the use of cannabinoids(2) was mentioned on the death certificate.
	In the period 2001-2005 there was one death with an underlying cause of psychotic disorder due to the use of cannabinoids.(2)
	(1) In routine statistics, ONS defines suicides as deaths from both intentional self-harm and 'injury or poisoning of undetermined intent'. It is likely that most of these latter deaths are cases where the harm is self-inflicted but there 'was insufficient evidence to prove that the deceased deliberately intended to kill themselves.
	The cause of death for intentional self-harm was defined using the International Classification of Diseases, Tenth Revision (ICD-10) codes X60-X84, and the cause of death for injury or poisoning of undetermined intent was defined using the International Classification of Diseases, Tenth Revision (ICD-10) codes Y10-Y34 excluding Y33.9 where the Coroner's verdict was pending.
	(2) Selected using ICD-10 code F12.5.

Capital Gains Tax

Vincent Cable: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will estimate the revenue impact of charging capital gains tax on residential property owned by non-domiciled and non-resident individuals; and if he will make a statement.

Dawn Primarolo: Estimates of the numbers, disposal value and gains made on assets disposed of in financial year 2003-04 by type of asset, including residential property, are available in National Statistics table 14.4 on the HM Revenue and Customs website at:
	http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/stats/capital_gains/menu.htm
	Estimates of the revenue impact of charging capital gains tax on residential property owned by non-domiciled and non-resident individuals are not available.

Child Benefit

David Laws: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what his estimate is of the additional cost beyond the standard uprating process of the policy announced on 21 March 2007 to increase child benefit for the eldest child to 20 per week from 6 April 2010; how many children he expects to be removed from poverty as a consequence of this change; and if he will make a statement.

Edward Balls: The cost of increasing the eldest child rate of child benefit to 20 per week from 6 April 2010, beyond statutory uprating in line with RPI, is 95 million in 2010-11. The increase to 20 per week will provide support to all families in line with the principle of progressive universalism. It is estimated that it would reduce child poverty by up to 10,000 in 2010.

Construction Industry Scheme

Stephen Hepburn: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer 
	(1)  how many temporary Construction Industry Scheme 4 cards were issued without the applicant holding a current national insurance number in  (a) 2004,  (b) 2005 and  (c) 2006;
	(2)  how many temporary Construction Industry Scheme 4 cards were issued in  (a) 2004,  (b) 2005 and  (c) 2006; and how many such cards are in circulation.

John Healey: I refer my hon. Friend to the answer I gave him on 20 March 2007,  Official Report, column 767W, for the number of temporary Construction Industry Scheme 4 cards issued in 2004-05 and 2005-06. The available data for 2006-07 now show that the number of temporary Construction Industry Scheme 4 cards issued in this year is 76.000(1).
	Temporary cards are issued for 12 months where a validated national insurance number cannot be supplied immediately and automatically expire after 12 months. Of the temporary cards 2006-07, 75,000 are currently valid and eligible for use.
	Temporary construction industry scheme 4 cards ceased to be used when the new Construction Industry Scheme was introduced on 6 April this year.
	(1) Data for 2006-07 are incomplete.

Departmental Staff

John Hayes: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many temporary employees were contracted to work for his Department in 2005-06; and what the total cost of such employees was in  (a) 2005-06 and  (b) 1997-98.

John Healey: In 2005-06 the Department spent 863,833 on temporary workers.
	The number of temporary workers contracted by the Treasury is not recorded centrally, and the costs for 1997-98 are not available due to a change in finance system.
	This information could therefore be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Departments: Smith Institute

Mark Francois: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer 
	(1)  pursuant to the answers of 8 February 2007,  Official Report, column 1134W and 1 February 2007,  Official Report, column 412W, on the Smith Institute, how many events were held by the Smith Institute at number 11 Downing street in each year since 1997;
	(2)  what security costs will be reimbursed to his Department by the Smith Institute.

Theresa May: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer pursuant to the answer of 1 February 2007,  Official Report, column 411W, on the Smith Institute, if he will list the events hosted by the Smith Institute at number 11 Downing street; and what costs were recovered from the institute in each case.

John Healey: holding answer 26 February 2007
	Since 1997, 67 separate charities have used number 11 of which the Smith Institute is one. A list of these charities is included on the Treasury website.
	The Smith Institute asked in 1997 to use the facility for seminars on a once a month basis and sometimes, when they are conducting a series of seminars, on a more regular basis. As previously reported, the Smith Institute held 27 seminars in the last 12 months. Any charities who use or want to use 11 Downing street can apply for more extended access if this is their wish and subject to availability.
	Every external organisation who uses number 11 does so on the same basis: the organisers of events at number 11 meet all additional costs associated with holding the event.

Departments: Internet

Don Foster: To ask Chancellor of the Exchequer which websites his Department has registered in the last 12 months; and if he will make a statement.

John Healey: The Treasury has registered no websites in the last 12 twelve months.

Departments: Press

Mark Hoban: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how much was spent on newspapers and periodicals by his Department in January 2007.

John Healey: The Treasury's expenditure in January 2007 on newspapers was 1,000 and expenditure on periodicals, including trade, accountancy and economics journals, was 5,000. The combined total represents a reduction of 2,000 or 25 per cent. on the cost of expenditure on newspapers and periodicals compared to the last monthly total published on 7 November 2006,  Official Report, column 1022W.

Departments: Pressure Groups

Norman Baker: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what meetings took place between Ministers in his Department and outside interest groups between 1 January and 31 March; and what the date was of each such meeting.

John Healey: Treasury Ministers and officials have meetings with a wide variety of organisations in the public and private sectors as part of the process of policy development and delivery. As was the case with previous Administrations, it is not the Government's practice to provide details of all such meetings.

Departments: Public Expenditure

Mark Francois: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer pursuant to the answer of 27 March 2007,  Official Report, columns 1441-2W, on departments: public expenditure, when his Department approved the Home Office's proposals to commit resources to  (a) the identity cards scheme and  (b) the construction of 8,000 extra prison places announced by the Secretary of State for the Home Department in July 2006.

Stephen Timms: The decision to introduce ID cards was taken by Cabinet in November 2003. The Home Office has delegated authority to commit resources up to certain defined limits. The total cost of the ID cards scheme will exceed these limits and so the delivery will require Treasury approval. Approval will be sought at an appropriate stage in the project planning process.
	The announcement by the Home Secretary of plans to increase prison capacity by 8,000 places was made with the prior agreement of HM Treasury. The individual projects that will deliver the new places will need to receive HM Treasury approval where they exceed the relevant limits. Approval is sought on a project-by-project basis at an appropriate stage in the project planning process.

Departments: Visits Abroad

Theresa May: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer on how many occasions his wife has accompanied him on official business abroad at the expense of the public purse, and at what cost, in each year.

Gordon Brown: My wife accompanies me on official visits overseas as appropriate. The costs of such visits are included in the total cost of Ministers' visits overseas which is published on an annual basis. From 2006-07, the number of such visits will be included in the annual list. Copies of previous lists are available in the Library of the House.

Duty Free Allowances

Tony Wright: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer when he plans to double the tax-free allowance for international travellers returning from trips outside the EU as described in the pre-Budget report in December 2006.

John Healey: On 28 November 2006, European Finance Ministers agreed to raise the tax-free allowance for people returning from outside the EU by air and sea to 430 (290). This doubles the current allowance for all UK travellers returning from third countries. The Government will lay the necessary order to bring the higher allowance into force at the earliest opportunity after parallel EU legislation to increase Customs Duty allowances is adopted. This is expected to be later this year.

Economic and Monetary Union

William Cash: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether the statement that the euro makes us strong contained in the Berlin Declaration of 25 March 2007 forms part of the Government's European policy.

Edward Balls: The Government's policy on membership of the single currency was set out by the Chancellor in his statement to the House of Commons in October 1997, and again in the Chancellor's statement on the five tests assessment in June 2003. The determining factor underpinning any Government decision on membership of the single currency is the national economic interest and whether the economic case for joining is clear and unambiguous.
	The Chancellor announced in Budget 2007 that, the Government does not propose a euro assessment to be initiated at the time of this budget. The Treasury will again review the situation at Budget time next year as required by the Chancellor's June 2003 statement.

Energy: Conservation

Dai Davies: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will bring forward fiscal measures to assist householders living in older housing stock to insulate their homes to reduce energy wastage and carbon emissions.

Ian Pearson: I have been asked to reply.
	DEFRA funds the Energy Saving Trust which works to increase demand for energy efficiency through raising awareness and providing advice and support for action by householders. In addition, the Energy Efficiency Commitment has placed an obligation on energy suppliers to promote improvements in household energy efficiency.
	Since its launch in June 2000, the Warm Front Scheme has assisted over 1.2 million households in fuel poverty in England, mainly through energy efficiency measures, including loft and cavity wall insulation.
	Fuel poverty is a devolved matter and, in Wales, the Home Energy Efficiency Scheme (HEES) funds insulation and heating measures in order to reduce fuel bills and improve domestic energy efficiency.

Energy: Conservation

Sharon Hodgson: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will offer fiscal incentives to those on low incomes to encourage the use of low energy light bulbs.

John Healey: Support is available for the purchases of low energy light bulbs under the Government's Energy Efficiency Commitment, which will have provided 40 million bulbs to consumers by 2008, and through the Warm Front Scheme for vulnerable households.
	Our existing European agreements prevent us from reducing the VAT rate on low energy light bulbs. However, to encourage the purchase of such bulbs and to reduce their upfront cost, the Chancellor has written to European Finance Ministers and the European Commission to recommend the introduction of a reduced VAT rate for energy efficient products.

Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council: Finance

Michael Moore: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he plans to use end year flexibility to provide the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council with funds for  (a) postdoctoral fellowships and  (b) other purposes.

John Healey: The allocation of end-year flexibility to specific research councils is a decision for the Secretary of State for the DTI.

European Community

John Hayes: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will place in the Library a list of the attendees, with their affiliations, of public events hosted at 11 Downing street on European Community matters in the last two years.

John Healey: Number 11 Downing street is used as a venue for Government meetings, official meetings, meetings with external stakeholders and events by charities. As was the case with the previous administration, it is not the Government's practice to disclose lists of individuals.

European Union: Citizenship

John Hayes: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what measures were funded in the UK under the Europe for Citizens programme in the last 12 months for which figures are available.

Shaun Woodward: I have been asked to reply.
	The Europe for Citizens programme began on 1 January 2007. Therefore, no measures were funded in the last 12 months.

Excise Duties: Alcoholic Drinks

Bill Wiggin: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how much revenue HM Treasury raised through the duty on  (a) cider,  (b) sparkling cider,  (c) beer,  (d) wine,  (e) sparkling wine and  (f) spirits in each year since 1997; and if he will make a statement.

John Healey: The total duty receipts by type of alcohols products (cider, beer, wine and spirits) can be found in the HM Revenue and Customs 'Beer  Cider Bulletin', 'Wine of Fresh Grapes or Made Wine Bulletin' and 'Spirits Bulletin', which are available from the HM Revenue and Customs website addresses at:
	http://www.uktradeinfo.co.uk/index.cfm?task=bullbeer
	http://www.uktradeinfo.co.uk/index.cfm?task=bullfreshgrape
	http://www.uktradeinfo.co.uk/index.cfm?task=bullmadewine
	http://www.uktradeinfo.co.uk/index.cfm?task=bullspirits
	HM Revenue and Customs only collects total duty receipts for alcohol products and does not split the receipts into still or sparkling alcohol products.

Excise Duties: Motor Vehicles

Dai Davies: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will introduce measures to assist rural users of four wheel drive vehicles.

John Healey: The Government believe that it is important that all cars registered from March 2001 are treated consistently on a carbon dioxide emissions basis under vehicle excise duty.
	Vehicle excise duty for cars was reformed in 2001 and is now based on graduated CO2 emissions bands, which give a clear signal to motorists to choose less polluting vehicles. The structure of vehicle excise duty means that vehicles in the same class or of a similar size are in different bandsfor example, there are various models of four wheel drive vehicles not in bands F and G. This enables people to choose less polluting vehicles but keep the same type of vehicle.

Excise Duties: Motor Vehicles

Anthony Steen: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will exempt Land Rovers and similar vehicles in use in rural areas which are necessary for those who work and live there from the additional excise duty mentioned in the Budget.

Mark Harper: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what assessment he has made of the effect of his Budget measures on the vehicle excise duty on drivers resident in rural areas.

John Healey: Vehicle excise duty for cars was reformed in 2001 and is now based on graduated carbon dioxide emissions bands, which give a clear signal to motorists to choose less polluting vehicles.
	Budget 2007 announced rates for the next three years including increases in band G in 2007-08 and for 2008-09 followed by a freeze for 2009-10, along with a reduction in the band B rate for low carbon cars in 2007-08 which will be frozen for the subsequent two years. Band G rates will apply to all cars with emissions above 225 grams CO2 per kilometre registered from 23 March 2006 onwards.
	Budget 2007 changes to vehicle excise duty apply across the UK and across manufacturers, sharpening the environmental signal to all UK motorists to purchase more fuel efficient vehicles. The sharpening of environmental signals will help deliver a 0.1-0.17 MtC reduction in CO2 emissions by 2020.
	Agricultural vehicles are exempt from payment of vehicle excise duty benefiting 283,000 vehicles in 2005.

Financial Ombudsman Service

Gordon Banks: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what steps he is taking to ensure the independence of the Independent Adviser to the Financial Ombudsman Service.

Edward Balls: The role of the independent assessor to the Financial Ombudsman Service is not set out in the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000.
	Following consultation, the board of (the Financial Ombudsman Service set up the post in 2001, under terms designed to secure the independence of the person appointed.
	Under his terms of reference, the independent assessor can consider complaints about the Financial Ombudsman Service's procedures and the behaviour of its staff. Disagreements about the merit of decisions are specifically excluded from his jurisdiction. The independent assessor is authorised to make findings and recommendations for redress in cases where he believes it is justified.
	Each year, the independent assessor writes an annual report, which is contained with the Financial Ombudsman Service's annual review. In it, he details the number and nature of the cases referred to him and the outcome of his investigations.
	Following a national advertisement and open selection process, Sir Edward Osmotherly was appointed to the post of independent assessor in December 2001. The present incumbent, Michael Barnes CBE, succeeded him in April 2002.

Financial Services: EC Law

Bernard Jenkin: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer pursuant to the answer of 15 March 2007,  Official Report, column 474W, on financial services: EC law, which other European Union member states have transposed the Markets in Financial Instruments Directive since 31 January; and when the Government expects those states which have not yet transposed the Directive to do so.

Edward Balls: The Commission has asked all member states to confirm when they will complete transposition of the two MiFID directives and this information is available at
	http://ec.europa.eu/internal_market/securities/isd/mifid_implementation_en_htm.
	According to the responses provided so far to the Commission on the above website, as of November 2004 the UK, Ireland and Rumania had reported that they had fully transposed both MiFID directives. Lithuania reported it had transposed the level 1 MiFID directive. And by the end of the summer, the majority of countries plan to have completed transposition.

Financial Services: Regulation

Harry Cohen: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what the system is for the regulation of independent financial advisers.

Edward Balls: The provision of financial advice is regulated under the terms of the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000 (Regulated Activities) Order 2001. Regulatory principles and detailed rules are made and enforced by the Financial Services Authority. These principles and rules require advisers to take a number of steps to ensure they provide suitable advice and treat their customers fairly. Where consumers have a complaint against a financial adviser which cannot be resolved through the adviser's own complaints process, they have access to the Financial Ombudsman service.

Government Departments: Fees and Charges

John Spellar: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what the Government rules are on charging by departments for services to the public, with particular reference to full cost recovery.

Stephen Timms: Government charging policy applies to all services provided by public bodies such as departments, agencies and NDPBs. Charges for statutory services to the public are normally set to recover the full administrative costs of the service (full cost recovery), unless legislation explicitly provides otherwise. The same principle applies where public bodies provide services to one another.
	Where public bodies provide discretionary services to the public, often into competitive markets, the policy is that charges should reflect the market price, in the interests of fair competition.
	The main exception is charges for information. Government policy is that certain information services should be provided free of charge or at substantially reduced cost.

Heads of State

Mark Hoban: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer when he last met a foreign Head of State with the Prime Minister.

John Healey: No. 10 issues press conference transcripts following meetings with Heads of State. In addition to meeting the Prime Minister some Heads of State have on occasion also met with the Chancellor.

Income: Distribution

Vincent Cable: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what the average wealth Gini coefficient was between  (a) 1979 and 1990,  (b) 1979 and 1997 and  (c) 1997 and 2006; and if he will make a statement.

Dawn Primarolo: Estimates for the wealth Gini coefficient from 1979-2003 are published in Table 13.5 on the HMRC website at
	http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/stats/personal_wealth/table13 5_pdf.
	Figures for subsequent years are not yet available.

Income: Distribution

Vincent Cable: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what the average income Gini coefficient was between  (a) 1979 and 1990,  (b) 1979 and 1997 and  (c) 1997 and 2006; and if he will make a statement.

Dawn Primarolo: I refer the hon. Member to the DWP publication Households Below Average Income and the ONS publication The Effects of Taxes and Benefits on Household Income, 2004-05.

Inheritance Tax

Michael Gove: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what the average inheritance tax paid was in each year since 1996-97.

Dawn Primarolo: 94 per cent. of estates do not pay inheritance tax. For estates that did pay tax, the average amount of inheritance tax paid is shown in the following table, rounded to the nearest 1,000.
	
		
			  Average UK Inheritance Tax Bill 
			   000 
			 1996-97 90 
			 1997-98 95 
			 1998-99 97 
			 1999-2000 104 
			 2000-01 107 
			 2001-02 110 
			 2002-03 98 
			 2003-04 87 
			 2004-05 91 
			 2005-06 100

Inheritance Tax: Northern Ireland

Sammy Wilson: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will link the threshold for inheritance tax in Northern Ireland to the level of house prices there.

Dawn Primarolo: The inheritance tax nil-rate band increases each year by reference to the retail prices index unless Parliament decides otherwise.
	However, the Chancellor announced in Budget 2007 increases in the nil-rate band in excess of the expected retail prices index for each year through to 2010-11 when it will reach 350,000.

Insurance: Pensioners

David Drew: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what steps his Department is taking to ensure that older people  (a) are able to obtain quotes from insurance companies and  (b) are not subject to additional premiums due to their age.

Edward Balls: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave him on 28 November 2006,  Official Report, column 599W. The Government do not prescribe the terms and conditions that insurance companies may set when offering insurance, nor do they intervene in the commercial decisions of insurers.
	The Government's Discrimination Law Review is currently considering whether there is a case for prohibiting age discrimination in the provision of goods, facilities and services, including insurance. The Government now expect to publish a Green Paper in May of this year.

Loans: Students

Daniel Rogerson: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what the maximum period is during which HM Revenue and Customs may retain a student loan payment taken by pay as you earn before the amount is transferred to the Student Loans Company.

Dawn Primarolo: HM Revenue and Customs transfers student loan repayments remitted by employers each month, along with pay as you earn (PAYE) tax and national insurance contributions (NIC) deducted from employees' earnings, to the Bank of England overnight following the date of receipt. No sums are retained or transferred to the Student Loans Company (SLC) at any stage.

Loans: Students

Stephen Williams: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether student loan payments received by HM Revenue and Customs are transferred to the Student Loan Company on an annual or monthly basis; and whether interest earned is credited to the student's account or retained by HM Revenue and Customs.

Dawn Primarolo: Any student loan repayments received by HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) are transferred overnight to the Treasury's consolidated account with the Bank of England. On a quarterly basis money is then transferred to the Department for Education and Skills.
	HMRC does not retain any student loan repayments money nor does it earn any interest on it.

Local Authority Business Growth Incentives Scheme

Mark Francois: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he plans to remove the 70 per cent. scaling factor and ceiling in the Local Authority Business Growth Incentive Scheme.

John Healey: In the three years to 2007-08 local authorities will receive about 1 billion through LABGI as the Government have previously announced. The Government have abolished the ceiling in LABGI. Due to Judicial Reviews brought by Corby and Slough authorities, this year the Government have retained the 70 per cent. scaling factor for payments to protect the important incentive this scheme creates for authorities both in this year and next year.

Members: Correspondence

Steve Webb: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer when he will answer the letters of 18 December 2006 and 19 December 2006 from the hon. Member for Northavon (our ref: denn/vct and you/lh) on the financing of AIDS treatment around the world.

John Healey: Both letters were transferred to the Department for International Development on 3 January and the hon. Member was informed on that day.

Ministerial Residences

Mark Hoban: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer which guests have stayed overnight at the flat above number 10 Downing street in the last 12 months.

John Healey: As was the case with previous administrations, it is not the Government's practice to provide lists of people who have visited or stayed at the flat above number 10 Downing street.

Ministers: Travel

Dai Davies: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what criteria he uses in deciding what means of transport to use to travel between 11 Downing street and the Palace of Westminster.

John Healey: Several factors, including security, are taken into account when determining the most appropriate mode of transport on official business.

National Insurance Contributions

Nigel Waterson: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer 
	(1)  pursuant to the answer of 19 February 2007,  Official Report, column 485W, on voluntary national insurance contributions, how many people his Department estimates will apply for refunds;
	(2)  pursuant to the answer of 19 February 2007,  Official Report, column 485W, on voluntary national insurance contributions, how many people have applied for refunds in voluntary national insurance contributions paid since 25 May 2006.

Dawn Primarolo: It is not possible to estimate the number of people who will apply for refunds as this depends on their personal circumstances. The number of people that have applied for refunds of voluntary contributions paid since 25 May 2006 is around 160.

No. 11 Downing Street: Meetings

Keith Simpson: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer which charities have held meetings at 11 Downing street since December 2005.

Mark Hoban: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer 
	(1)  which receptions he held at number 11 Downing street in December 2006;
	(2)  which functions were held at number 11 Downing street in November 2006.

John Healey: Number 11 Downing street is used as a venue for Government meetings, official meetings, meetings with external stakeholders and events by charities. This is fully in accordance with the ministerial code and long standing conventions governing the use of Downing street as operated by this and previous Governments.
	A list of the charities that have used number 11 Downing street since 1997 is set out on the Treasury website.

Official Hospitality

Mark Francois: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many functions held at number 11 Downing street in the last two years have been attended by  (a) Sir Christopher Evans and  (b) Rod Aldridge.

John Healey: Number 11 Downing street is used as a venue for Government meetings, official meetings, meetings with external stakeholders and events by charities. As was the case with previous administrations, it is not the Government's practice to disclose lists of individuals who have visited No. 11.

Olympic Games: Greater London

Mark Francois: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether all the funding to be provided by central government departments towards the cost of the Olympics will be new money allocated in the Comprehensive Spending Review.

John Healey: I refer the hon. Gentleman to the statement made to the House by the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport on 15 March,  Official Report, columns 450-466. This is a matter for consideration in the 2007 Comprehensive Spending Review.

Pay: Public Sector

Elfyn Llwyd: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what assessment he has made of the economic effects in Wales of the introduction of regional pay in the public sector.

Stephen Timms: In reserved areas it is for Government Departments to determine pay settlements within the framework of the Government's pay policy. The Government's pay policy promotes pay settlements which reflect local labour market conditions. In devolved areas it is for the Welsh Assembly government to determine pay settlements.

Pay: Wales

Dai Davies: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what assessment he has made of the likely effect of differential regional pay for public service employees in Wales on the Welsh economy.

Stephen Timms: In reserved areas it is for Government Departments to determine pay settlements within the framework of the Government's pay policy. The Government's pay policy promotes pay settlements which reflect local labour market conditions. In devolved areas it is for the Welsh Assembly government to determine pay settlements.

Public Bodies: Accountancy

Jacqui Lait: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether public bodies are required to meet international generally accepted accounting principles for accounts published after July 2008; whether he expects compliance to ensure that the costs of the private finance initiative will be included on the public balance sheet; and what effect he expects inclusion to have on total Government borrowing.

Stephen Timms: As set out in paragraph 6.59 of the 2007 Financial Statement and Budget Report, the annual financial statements of Government Departments and other entities in the public sector are currently prepared using accounting polices based on UK generally accepted accounting practice. From financial year 2008-09, the annual financial statements of Government Departments and other entities in the public sector, will be prepared using international financial reporting standards, adapted as necessary for the public sector. There is as yet no EU-adopted IFRS standard setting out how the public-sector elements of PFI projects should be reported. It is too early to say what an IFRS standard, once introduced, will mean on a deal-by-deal basis for each PFI contract.

Public Expenditure

Danny Alexander: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether it is his Department's policy to allow savings on annually managed expenditure to fund spending through departmental expenditure limits as recommended by the Freud Review.

Edward Balls: The process for the allocation of funding to Government Departments is set out in 'Public planning and control in the UKa brief introduction', which is available on the HMT Treasury website.

Public Sector: Fees and Charges

David Gauke: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what assessment his Department has made of the potential effects of expanding co-payment in the public services.

Stephen Timms: Any assessment of how public services are funded must consider the impact on efficiency and equity of different funding models as well as any wider effects. Guidance on charging for Government services and products where co-payment is deemed appropriate is set out in The Fees and Charges Guide.

Revenue and Customs

Stephen Williams: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many home visits have been made by HM Revenue and Customs to individuals who qualify for this service each tax year since 2001-02; and what assessment he has made of the implications of trends in these figures.

Dawn Primarolo: The data requested is not available.

Revenue and Customs: Buildings

Alan Meale: To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will break down by main budget heading the costs of operating and maintaining HM Revenue and Customs' buildings and offices situated on the Castle Meadow site in Nottingham.

Dawn Primarolo: The cost of operating and maintaining the HM Revenue and Customs buildings and offices at Castle Meadow site in Nottingham from April 2006 to March 2007 are as shown in the following table.
	
		
			
			  Budget Heading  Cost (net of VAT) 
			 PFI Unitary Charge 5,403,368 
			 Business Rates 1,264,360 
			 Utilities 371,501 
			 Total 7,039,229 
		
	
	The PFI unitary charge is for the provision (by Mapeley) of the serviced accommodation at this address, this includes the facility management, maintenance and property costs for this site.

Revenue and Customs: Huddersfield

Barry Sheerman: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will take steps to ensure the provision of accessible premises in Huddersfield for people requiring information and advice from HM Revenue and Customs.

Dawn Primarolo: The hon. Member will be aware that HMRC has a commitment to retain face to face services at or close by the current location. In the event that they vacate the current office, HMRC will have several criteria for the new building, one of which will be that there is good customer access.

Revenue and Customs: Huddersfield

Barry Sheerman: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many employees of HM Revenue and Customs were employed in Huddersfield in each of the past 10 years.

Dawn Primarolo: The following table shows the number of staff employed by HMRC and, previous to its formation in 2005, by its constituent former Departments (the Inland Revenue and HM Customs and Excise) at offices in Huddersfield during this period.
	
		
			   Headcount 
			 1 April 1997 138 
			 1 April 1998 128 
			 1 April 1999 131 
			 1 April 2000 135 
			 1 April 2001 138 
			 1 April 2002 131 
			 1 April 2003 127 
			 1 April 2004 131 
			 1 April 2005 131 
			 1 April 2006 120 
			 1 March 2007 107

Revenue and Customs: Huddersfield

Barry Sheerman: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will take steps to improve the provision of services and information by HM Revenue and Customs in Huddersfield.

Dawn Primarolo: In the last 18 months HMRC have made changes to the way their inquiry centres operate to improve the face to face service offered and its efficiency.
	HMRC have an effective quality assurance system. Regular assurance checks are carried out by higher grade officers, checking that the processes and approach to customers are nationally consistent. In addition, managers discuss work issues with their staff on a weekly basis and carry out quarterly quality checks on the work of each member of their staff.

Revenue and Customs: Telephone Services

David Lidington: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer 
	(1)  what the average duration of a telephone call by a member of the public to the national helpline of HM Revenue and Customs was in the last period for which figures are available;
	(2)  what the average waiting time was before a telephone call by a member of the public to the national helpline of HM Revenue and Customs was answered by a member of staff in the last period for which figures are available;
	(3)  what targets have been set for the management of HM Revenue and Customs for the improved handling of telephone calls to the national helpline by members of the public; and if he will make a statement;
	(4)  how many telephone calls to the national helpline for HM Revenue and Customs were answered in 2005-06; and how many have been answered in 2006-07;
	(5)  how many full-time equivalent staff are employed to deal directly with telephone calls to HM Revenue and Customs' national helpline;
	(6)  how many customers are held in a telephone queue for the national helpline of HM Revenue and Customs before further calls are automatically terminated;
	(7)  how many telephone calls to the national helpline of HM Revenue and Customs were automatically terminated during 2005-06; how many have been so terminated in 2006-07; and if he will make a statement.

Dawn Primarolo: The data is not available in the format requested.

Road Transport

Dai Davies: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will give consideration to extending the review of road transport fuels which he has asked Professor Julia King and Sir Nicholas Stern to conduct to include an evaluation of alternatives to kerosene air transport fuel.

John Healey: The review will focus on road transport fuels and technologies. The Government's objective is to ensure that aviation is included within the EU emissions trading scheme as soon as possible, but in addition the Government will continue to explore areas where support may be appropriate in the development of alternative aviation fuels.

Sick Leave

Peter Bottomley: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many people of working age were off work for a period exceeding six months through sickness or disability in  (a) 1997 and  (b) 2006.

John Healey: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the National Statistician who has been asked to reply.
	 Letter from Colin Mowl, dated 16 April 2007:
	The National Statistician has been asked to reply to your Parliamentary Question about people of working age who were off work for more than six months through sickness or disability in 1997 and 2006. I am replying in her absence. (130848)
	Historically, the Labour Force Survey (LFS) collects information about people who were absent from work because of sickness or injury in the week before their interview. The answers to this question give no indication of the overall length of their sickness absence.
	More recently, the LFS has been extended to ask whether respondents had been off work for illnesses caused or aggravated by work. This data however excludes non- work related sicknesses or disabilities that did not originate from the workplace. It also excludes those off work for over a year.
	As a result, the information necessary to answer the question is not available from the LFS.

Sir Ronald Cohen

Mark Francois: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many official functions held at No. 11 Downing Street in the last 12 months have been attended by Sir Ronald Cohen.

John Healey: No. 11 Downing Street is used as a venue for government meetings, official meetings, meetings with external stakeholders and events by charities. As was the case with the previous administration, it is not the Government's practice to disclose lists of individuals.

Small Businesses: Grants

Mark Hoban: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what progress his Department has made towards the establishment of a small business development bank.

Margaret Hodge: I have been asked to reply.
	The Government are not progressing any proposal for the establishment of a small business development bank.

Stamp Duty Land Tax

Vincent Cable: To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will estimate the reduction in the yield of stamp duty land tax as a result of the sale of commercial and residential property into offshore companies; and if he will make a statement.

Edward Balls: The purchase of UK commercial property by offshore companies attracts stamp duty land tax. No estimate is available of the subsequent reduction in yield from transactions of shares in those companies instead of the underlying property.

Taxation: Companies

Mark Francois: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what estimate he has made of the effect on UK investment of the Paymaster General's announcement on 2 March limiting sideways loss relief.

Dawn Primarolo: The changes announced on 2 March 2007 target the continued use of sideways loss relief for tax avoidance and should have no significant effect on genuine investment.

Taxation: Self-assessment

Humfrey Malins: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many taxpayers who submitted self-assessment tax returns were charged a penalty of 100 for late submission in each of the last three years; how many appealed against the penalty in each year; how many appeals were allowed in each year; what percentage of penalty charges were collected in each year; and how many were not collected due to death or tax due being under 100 in each year.

Dawn Primarolo: The total number of 100 late filing penalties issued, cancelled and appeals received against throughout the last three years are as detailed in the following table. HMRC does not have information on how many appeals were allowed, the percentage of these penalties collected or how many were not collected due to death or tax being under 100.
	
		
			   Penalties issued  Penalties cancelled  Penalty appeals received 
			 2003-04 1,640,267 215,851 157,001 
			 2004-05 1,715,775 233,731 139,878 
			 2005-06 1,658,883 190,407 142,993

Unemployment

Iain Wright: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many children in  (a) Hartlepool constituency,  (b) the Tees Valley sub-regions,  (c) the North East region and  (d) the UK live in a family in which neither parent works.

John Healey: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the National Statistician who has been asked to reply.
	 Letter from Karen Dunnell, dated 16 April 2007:
	As National Statistician, I have been asked to reply to your recent parliamentary question asking how many children in  (a) Hartlepool constituency,  (b) the Tees Valley sub-regions,  (c) the North East region and  (d) the UK live in a family in which neither parent works. (130909)
	The attached table gives the number of children in families where no parent is working. The numbers in the table include children of lone parents who are not in employment as well as children of couples in which neither partner is in employment.
	Estimates are taken from the Labour Force Survey (LFS). As with any sample survey, estimates from the LFS are subject to a margin of uncertainty.
	
		
			  Number of children( 1)  in a family where no parent is working( 2) ; October to December 2006 
			   Thousand 
			 United Kingdom 2,055 
			 North East 95 
			 Tees Valley sub-regions 28 
			 Hartlepool constituency 3 
			 (1) Children refers to children under 16. (2) Estimates exclude families with unknown economic activity status.  Source: Labour Force Survey

Unemployment: East Sussex

Nigel Waterson: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many economically inactive people of working age there were in  (a) Eastbourne and  (b) East Sussex in age groups (i) 18 to 24, (ii) 25 to 50 and (iii) over 50 years old in each year since 1997.

John Healey: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the National Statistician who has been asked to reply.
	 Letter from Karen Dunnell, dated 16 April 2007:
	As National Statistician, I have been asked to reply to your Parliamentary Question about how many economically inactive people of working age there were in (a) Eastbourne and (b) East Sussex in age groups (i) 18 to 24, (ii) 25 to 50 and (iii) 50 years old or more in each year since 19911 (130963)
	The Office for National Statistics (ONS) compiles statistics of inactivity from the annual local area Labour Force Survey (LFS) and the Annual Population Survey (APS) following International Labour Organisation definitions.
	Table 1, attached, shows the number of economically inactive persons, aged 16 to 24, 25 to 49, 50 to retirement age and for all persons of working age, resident in the Eastbourne constituency, from the annual local area LFS for the 12-month periods ending in February from 1997 to 2004 and from the APS for the 12-month periods ending in March from 2005 to 2006. These numbers are also expressed as a percentage of the relevant population. Table 2 shows similar information for East Sussex.
	As these estimates are for a subset of the population in a small geographical area, they are based on very small sample sizes, and are therefore subject to large margins of uncertainty. In this case, the sample sizes are not sufficient to give an accurate estimate of even the direction of the change over the period.
	All estimates refer to the current administrative East Sussex area.
	
		
			  Table 1: Economic inactivity by age group for the Eastbourne parliamentary constituency 
			  Thousand 
			   16 to 24  25 to 49  50 to retirement age( 1)  All persons of working age( 2) 
			  12 months ending  Level  Rate (%)  Level  Rate (%)  Level  Rate (%)  Level  Rate (%) 
			 February 1997 3 31 3 11 3 33 10 19 
			 February 1998 2 24 5 16 4 42 11 22 
			 February 1999 2 18 6 19 2 19 10 19 
			 February 2000 (3) (3) 5 17 2 21 8 17 
			 February 2001 2 29 4 11 5 47 11 21 
			 February 2002 1 12 4 14 5 39 11 21 
			 February 2003 3 28 5 15 3 25 11 20 
			 February 2004 2 21 7 20 3 21 11 20 
			 March 2005 2 21 5 17 4 26 11 20 
			 March 2006 3 21 4 14 4 29 11 19 
			 (1) Males aged 50 to 64 and females aged 50 to 59. (2) Males aged 16 to 64 and females aged 16 to 59. (3) Sample size too small to provide estimates.  Notes: 1. Estimates are subject to sampling variability. 2. Changes in the estimates over time should be treated with caution.  Source: Annual local area Labour Force Survey; Annual Population Survey. 
		
	
	
		
			  Table 2: Economic inactivity by age group for East Sussex 
			  Thousand 
			   16 to 24  25 to 49  50 to retirement age( 1)  All persons of working age( 2) 
			  12 months ending  Level  Rate (%)  Level  Rate (%)  Level  Rate (%)  Level  Rate (%) 
			 February 1997 11 26 20 13 19 29 50 19 
			 February 1998 9 24 22 15 21 30 53 21 
			 February 1999 6 14 22 15 22 31 50 19 
			 February 2000 8 18 21 14 15 22 44 16 
			 February 2001 11 26 16 11 18 24 46 17 
			 February 2002 10 23 22 14 21 27 53 19 
			 February 2003 11 24 22 15 21 26 54 20 
			 February 2004 8 18 25 16 20 25 53 19 
			 March 2005 10 23 21 14 23 27 54 19 
			 March 2006 10 23 25 16 22 26 57 20

USA

Mark Hoban: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer where he stayed overnight on his official visit to Washington in December 2004; and what the cost of the stay was.

John Healey: All ministerial visits are conducted in accordance with the Ministerial Code and Travel by Ministers. Since 1999, the Government have published on an annual basis, a list of overseas travel by Cabinet Ministers costing in excess of 500 and the total cost of all ministerial travel. Information for 2006-07 will be published as soon as possible after the end of the financial year.

Valuation and Lands Agency: ICT

Caroline Spelman: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what his Department's estimate is of the value of the tangible fixed asset of the Valuation and Lands Agency's automated valuation computer database.

David Hanson: I have been asked to reply.
	The current estimated fixed asset value of the database is 3,560,853.

Valuation Office Agency

Caroline Spelman: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will place in the Library a copy of the Valuation Office Agency's documents  (a) CT IA 010905 (September 2005) and  (b) CT IA 241005 (October 2005).

John Healey: A copy of the Valuation Office Agency's documents  (a) and  (b) have been placed in the Library.

Valuation Office Agency

Caroline Spelman: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer 
	(1)  which foreign visits were made by representatives of the Valuation Office Agency on official business in 2006; and what the  (a) purpose and  (b) destination was in each case;
	(2)  pursuant to the answers of 26 January 2007,  Official Report, column 2134W, and of 30 November 2006,  Official Report, column 845W, on the Valuation Office Agency, what the  (a) purpose and  (b) destination in each country was of each foreign visit.

Dawn Primarolo: I refer the hon. member to the answer given on 26 January 2007,  Official Report, column 2134W, which sets out the foreign trips made in 2006. These visits were undertaken when the VOA was invited to share their expertise in the field of property valuation, as speakers or delegates at international conferences or providing advice to overseas Government valuation agencies.

Valuation Office Agency

Caroline Spelman: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what Gateway Reviews  (a) have been produced and  (b) are underway in relation to projects by the Valuation Office Agency.

Dawn Primarolo: No Gateway Reviews are currently under way in relation to projects of the Valuation Office Agency. The last review undertaken for a project was in October 2005.

Valuation Office Agency: Travel

Caroline Spelman: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what the Valuation Office Agency's policy is on its staff travelling first class by  (a) rail and  (b) air.

Dawn Primarolo: The Valuation Office Agency's travel; policy is set out in Section 7 of the Guide to Working in the Valuation Office Agency. The relevant section is enclosed:
	All staff should normally use standard (or economy) class travel for:
	all rail journeys
	all air journeys of less than 90 minutes (each way)
	all ferry (or equivalent) travel
	However, you may travel first class if:
	you are Band 2 or above, or
	you have reserved rights to travel first class (and you have completed the appropriate declaration), and
	the travel is for business) purposes (i.e. not for investitures, royal garden parties etc)
	Nevertheless, even if you are entitled to first class travel, you should still use standard class) if you are undertaking a rail journey of short duration (i.e. of up to ground one hour for a single journey, or around two hours for a return journey). And you are also recommended to consider standard class for longer 'commuter type' travel, even when the journey time may exceed the durations mentioned above.
	All staff may travel first class on an APEX ticket provided this is cheaper than the full standard class fare (and no standard class APEX tickets are available). Exceptionally, and subject to approval by your line manager before the journey takes place, you may also travel first class if:
	you have special needs that require you to travel first class
	there is a business need for you to travel with a colleague who may travel first class.

Valuation: Housing

Martin Horwood: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what assessment he has made of the priority given by district valuers to conducting valuations under section 128 of the Housing Act 1985 as compared to their other  (a) statutory and  (b) non-statutory functions.

Dawn Primarolo: District valuers are appointed by the Commissioners for Revenue and Customs under the Housing Act 1985 to deal with right to buy determinations and this is therefore known as statutory work. All statutory work is given equal priority. Deployment of district valuer staff on non-statutory work will reflect availability within normal fluctuations in demand.

Valuation: Lancashire

Nigel Evans: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many valuations were made under section 128 of the Housing Act 1985 by the district valuer in  (a) Ribble Valley and  (b) Lancashire between 1 September 2005 and 1 February 2006.

Dawn Primarolo: Within the time frame 1 September 2005 and 1 February 2006, the numbers of determinations made by the District Valuer under section 128 of the Housing Act 1985 in each district of Lancashire is a follows:
	
		
			   Number 
			 Burnley 7 
			 Chorley 7 
			 Fylde 0 
			 Hyndburn 11 
			 Lancaster 3 
			 Pendle 7 
			 Preston 10 
			 Ribble Valley 1 
			 Rossendale 7 
			 South Ribble 3 
			 West Lancashire 9 
			 Wyre 0 
		
	
	The total number of determinations in Lancashire is 65, of which one was in Ribble Valley.

VAT: Fraud

Vincent Cable: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer 
	(1)  when he expects to complete the investigations into Missing Trader Intra-Community fraud; and if he will make a statement;
	(2)  whether extra resources have been transferred to Missing Trader Intra-Community fraud investigations in order to complete the checks within the appointed time limits.

Dawn Primarolo: In response to the rapid increase in: Missing Trader Intra-Community Fraud activity in late 2005 and early 2006, HM Revenue and Customs are actively checking a greater number of claims. Each case of verification is treated on its own merits and, given the extremely complex and highly sophisticated nature of the fraud, involving numerous cross-border transactions within and beyond the European Union as well as checks into a wide range of matters involving companies, their directors, financing and, of course, transactions and associations with other parties, the time taken to reach a decision is that required to fully establish the veracity of the claim. The setting of arbitrary time limits to complete investigations would be counterproductive to establishing the correctness of the transaction chains involved. The UK courts have, to date, supported HMRC's policy.
	HMRC recognises the importance of VAT repayments to legitimate businesses and have deployed an additional 700 staff to ensure that verification of these claims can be; carried out as effectively and efficiently as possible. Also if at any time during the verification they identify that part or the entire claim is unconnected to MTIC fraud and is otherwise valid, they will make prompt repayment of the amount.

VAT: Fraud

Vincent Cable: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many representations he has received from companies awaiting results of Missing Trader Intra-Community fraud checks regarding the effect on their financial position of the time taken to complete the checks.

Dawn Primarolo: Treasury Ministers and officials receive representations, on numerous subjects from a wide range of organisations and individuals in the public and private sectors as part of the process of policy development and delivery. As was the case with previous Administrations, it is not the Government's practice to provide details of all such representations.

Welfare Tax Credits: Overpayments

David Laws: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many notices of warning of legal proceedings if payment was not made were sent to individuals claiming tax credits who were in dispute with HM Revenue and Customs in each month from April 2003 to March 2007; and if he will make a statement.

Dawn Primarolo: It is HMRC's policy to suspend the recovery of overpayments while a dispute is being considered.

Widowed People: Taxation

David Anderson: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will take steps to ensure that widowed lone parents receive for tax credit purposes the same disregard for their widows' pension as is received by divorcees for their maintenance payments.

Dawn Primarolo: The child and working tax credits are part of the tax system and tax credit entitlement is therefore generally based on all income of a tax year which is taken into account for income tax purposes. This includes taxable social security benefits such as widowed parent's allowance. Income which is exempt from income tax is disregarded for tax credits. In particular, maintenance received from a former spouse is disregarded to help lone parents in these circumstances to find and keep work and to encourage the payment of maintenance by the former spouse.
	However, the widowed parent's allowance, together with some other income, already benefits from a 300 annual disregard which reduces the amount of such income which is taken into account for tax credit purposes.

Working Tax Credit

James McGovern: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer for what reasons those without children and disabilities and under the age of 25 are ineligible to claim working tax credit.

Dawn Primarolo: The working tax credit provides financial support on top of earnings for households with low incomes, making sure that work pays. It was introduced to tackle poor work incentives and persistent poverty among working people, and to respond to family circumstances, targeting resources on those most in need.
	The working tax credit recognises the difficulties that those with children face in combining work with family responsibilities and the difficulties that workers with a disability may face. Workers with neither children nor a disability, aged 25 or over, are entitled to the working tax credit provided they work at least 30 hours a week. Eligibility begins at this point because it is those aged 25 or over who are most likely to face poorer incentives to work or suffer persistent poverty in work.

Working Tax Credit: Dundee

James McGovern: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer 
	(1)  how many people in Dundee West are eligible for the working tax credit;
	(2)  how many people in Dundee West  (a) are eligible for and  (b) claim the child tax credit;
	(3)  how many people in Dundee West claim the working tax credit.

Dawn Primarolo: I refer my hon. Friend to the answers given to the hon. Member for Stroud (Mr. Drew) on 29 March 2007,  Official Report, column 1753W.

HOME DEPARTMENT

Ahmed Omar Maruf

Clare Short: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when Ahmed Omar Maruf, Home Office Ref: A1043799, a constituent of the hon. Member for Birmingham, Ladywood, will receive a decision on his application for indefinite leave to remain following his in time application in August 2006.

Liam Byrne: I wrote to my right hon. Friend on 4 April 2007.

Alcoholic Drinks: Children

Hugo Swire: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many retailers were prosecuted for selling alcohol to under-age customers in each year for which figures are available.

Vernon Coaker: Information from the Court Proceedings Database held by the Office for Criminal Justice Reform showing the number of retailers prosecuted for selling alcohol to minors, allowing sale to minors and wholesale sale to minors is shown in the following table.
	The offence of sale of alcohol to a person under 18 can attract a penalty notice for disorder (PND). The offence was added to the PND scheme on the 1 November 2004, and there were 113 penalty notices issued for the offence in November and December of that year. 2,058 penalty notices were issued in 2005 and provisional data for January to June 2006 shows that a further 1,562 penalty notices were issued for the offence in that period.
	
		
			  Number of defendants p roceeded against at magistrates  courts for selling alcohol to underage customers, England and Wales 1995-2005( 1, 2) 
			  Offence description  Principal statute  Year  Proceeded against 
			 Selling etc. intoxicating liquor to person under 18 for consumption on the premises Licensing Act 1964 S.169 A  B as added by Licensing (Young Persons) Act 2000 S.1 1995 198 
			   1996 251 
			   1997 214 
			   1998 310 
			   1999 204 
			   2000 130 
			   2001 155 
			   2002 168 
			   2003 604 
			   2004 836 
			   2005 1,044 
			 
			 Wholesaler selling intoxicating liquor to a person under 18 Licensing Act 1964 S.181 A(1) as added by Licensing Act 1988 S.17 1995  
			   1996  
			   1997 1 
			   1998 1 
			   1999 1 
			   2000 2 
			   2001 3 
			   2002 2 
			   2003 12 
			   2004 5 
			   2005 11 
			 
			 Sale of alcohol to person under 18 Licensing Act 2003 S.146 2005(3) 29 
			 
			 Allowing of alcohol to person under 18 Licensing Act 2003 S.147 2005(3)  
			 (1 )These data are provided on the principal offence basis. (2) Every effort is made to ensure that the figures presented are accurate and complete. However, it is important to note that these data have been extracted from large administrative data systems generated by the police forces and courts. As a consequence, care should be taken to ensure data collection processes and their inevitable limitations are taken into account when those data are used. (3) Sections 146 and 147 of the 2003 Licensing Act only came into effect from 24 November 2005, so data prior to 2005 are not available.  Source: RDSOffice for Criminal Justice Reform

Animal Experiments

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what his Department's budget is for the reduction, replacement and refinement of animal experimentation.

Joan Ryan: We announced on 21 May 2004,  Official Report, column 69WS, that the Home Office would transfer its budget for research into the reduction, replacement and refinement of animal experimentation (the 3Rs) to the National Centre for Replacement, Refinement and Reduction of Animals in Research (NC3Rs) once pre-existing commitments had been honoured. Accordingly, the Home Office contributed 35,000, 125,000 and 250,000 to the funding of the Centre in financial years 2004-05, 2005-06 and 2006-07, respectively.
	The National Centre for the Replacement, Refinement and Reduction of Animals in Research is an independent organisation, funded by Government, research councils and industry, reporting to the Minister for Science and Innovation, and provides a United Kingdom focus for the promotion, development and implementation of the 3Rs in animal research and testing. The centre funds high-quality 3Rs research and facilitates the exchange of information and ideas, the identification of knowledge gaps, and the translation of research findings into practice to benefit both animals and science.

Animal Experiments: Inspections

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many inspectors are employed to oversee animal experimentation; and if he will take steps to increase the number.

Joan Ryan: The Animals (Scientific Procedures) Inspectorate assesses applications for animal experimentation licences and inspects licensed work and facilities where work under the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986 is carried out. There are currently 28 inspectors based in offices at Cambridge, Dundee, London, Shrewsbury and Swindon. It remains our aim to achieve a complement of 33 inspectors in total. We have no plans for any further increase beyond this target figure at the present time.

Arms Trade: Saudi Arabia

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what requests for information have been received by  (a) his Department and  (b) the Serious Fraud Office from the US Justice Department on the investigation into the Al Yamamah military contract.

Joan Ryan: Correspondence between the UK and other countries relating to such matters is by its very nature confidential in order to protect the integrity of any ongoing criminal investigation. It therefore follows that the Home Office can neither confirm nor deny that such requests have been received, considered or made by UK authorities.

Asylum

John Grogan: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many asylum seeker claims were not processed within eight weeks in the last year for which figures are available; and how long it took to process those claims.

Liam Byrne: holding answer 21 March 2007
	The latest published figures show that 76 per cent.(1) of applications in the financial year 2005-06 had initial decisions made and served within two months, 84 per cent. within four months and 87 per cent. within six months.
	Information on the timeliness of initial decisions is published quarterly and annually. Copies of these publications are available from the Library of the House and from the Home Office Research, Development and Statistics website at:
	http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/rds/immigration1.html
	(1) Source: A-CID database as at 15 January 2007. Two months is defined as 61 days; four months is defined as 122 days; six months is defined as 182 days.

Asylum: Children

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many people seeking asylum in the UK as an unaccompanied child in  (a) 2005 and  (b) 2006 who were the subject of an age dispute were subsequently found to be aged over 18 years.

Liam Byrne: In 2005 there were 2,425 applications from Unaccompanied Asylum Seeking Children (UASCs) in which the age was disputed. As at 12 June 2006 the applicant's age was still recorded as disputed in 1,775 cases (cases may be resolved either if the applicant withdraws their claim to be a minor, or the Home Office receives credible evidence that the applicant is the age claimed).
	Statistics on age disputed applications are published annually and figures for 2006 will be published in August 2007. Copies of these publications are available from the Library of the House and from the Home Office Research, Development and Statistics Directorate website at:
	http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/rds/immigration1.html.

Asylum: Custodial Treatment

Jeremy Corbyn: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many people seeking asylum are held in custody; and what the equivalent figure was for  (a) March 2005 and  (b) March 2004.

Gerry Sutcliffe: holding answer 26 March 2007
	Information on the numbers of asylum seekers who are held in custody is not held centrally and would not be available except at disproportionate cost.

Asylum: Northern Ireland

David Lidington: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many people resident in Northern Ireland are receiving help from the National Asylum Support Service.

Liam Byrne: Statistics on the location of asylum seekers in the UK are linked to the available information on the support that the asylum seeker receives.
	As at the end of December 2006, 175 asylum seekers were recorded as receiving asylum support in Northern Ireland. This figure excludes those asylum seekers who are living in Northern Ireland but are not receiving support from IND.
	The numbers of asylum seekers in receipt of support from IND, broken down by Government office region and local authority, are published on a quarterly and annual basis. Copies of these publications are available from the Library of the House and from the Home Office Research, Development and Statistics website at http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/rds/immigration1.html. Further breakdowns, of those in receipt of support from IND, by parliamentary constituency are also available from the Library of the House.

British Nationality: Gurkhas

David Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many former Gurkha soldiers  (a) applied for and  (b) were given British citizenship in each of the last 10 years.

Liam Byrne: This information is not readily available and could be obtained only by examination of individual case records at disproportionate cost.

British Nationality: Nepal

David Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many Nepalese citizens who had not served in the British Army  (a) applied for British citizenship and  (b) were granted British citizenship in each of the last 10 years.

Liam Byrne: The information is not readily available and could be obtained only by examination of individual case records at disproportionate cost.

Bronzefield Prison: Foreigners

David Wilshire: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department 
	(1)  how many convicted prisoners who served  (a) all and  (b) the final part of their sentence at HMP Bronzefield have continued to be detained there pending deportation since the prison opened;
	(2)  how many convicted prisoners who have completed their sentences are being held at HMP Bronzefield pending deportation; and on what date each such prisoner's sentence was completed.

Gerry Sutcliffe: Information that would identify time-served foreign national prisoners generally or at a particular prison is not available except at disproportionate cost.

Crime

Theresa May: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many people were  (a) arrested,  (b) charged,  (c) prosecuted,  (d) found guilty and  (e) given a custodial sentence in cases involving (i) domestic violence, (ii) rape, (iii) violence against the person and (iv) burglary in each police constabulary area in each year between 1997 and 2006.

Tony McNulty: Information on arrests for offences of domestic violence and rape is not separately identified within the arrests collection held by the Office for Criminal Justice Reform. The collection is based on persons arrested for recorded crime (notifiable offences) by main offence group.
	Available information from 1999-2000 to 2004-05 (latest available) on persons arrested for violence against the person and burglary offences by police force area is too large to be included in the answer but I have arranged for a copy of the relevant table to be placed in the Library. Information on arrests for the other offence categories is not centrally held. Information on arrests for 2005-06 will be available later this year.
	Information taken from the Court Proceedings Database held by the Office for Criminal Justice Reform showing the number of defendants proceeded against at magistrates courts, found guilty at all courts, sentenced, and sentenced to immediate custody for violence against the person, burglary and rape, for the years 1997-2005 (latest available), is too large to be included in the answer but I have arranged for a copy of the relevant table to be placed in the Library.
	Although prosecutions for domestic violence cannot be separately identified from other offences of assault and violence against the person on the Court Proceedings Database, the CPS holds records of proceedings for domestic violence cases since the full implementation of the Compass Case Management System. The number of prosecutions for domestic violence cases completed in each of the 42 areas of the CPS in 2005 and in 2006, together with the number and the proportion of cases resulting in conviction and in an unsuccessful outcome is too large to be included in the answer but I have arranged for a copy of the relevant table to be placed in the Library.
	The year-on-year increase in prosecutions for domestic violence, from 44,244 in 2005 to 56,411 in 2006, is believed to reflect both improved levels of reporting of these offences and improvements in the quality of CPS records.

Crime

Theresa May: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what  (a) the total number of criminal offences,  (b) the total number of criminal offences abolished and  (c) the total number of criminal offences created in England and Wales was in each year between 1997 and 2006.

Tony McNulty: I refer the right hon. Member to the answer given to the hon. Member for Rayleigh (Mr. Francois) on 29 November 2006,  Official Report , column 778W.

Crime: Rural Areas

James Paice: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many  (a) burglaries,  (b) acts of violence against the person,  (c) sexual offences,  (d) instances of vehicle crime,  (e) instances of property crime and  (f) acts of vandalism there were in rural police force areas in each year since 1997.

Vernon Coaker: The requested information is given in the tables.
	
		
			  Table 1: Numbers of offences recorded in rural police force areas1997 
			  Police force area  Offence  1997 
			 Cambridgeshire Violence against the person 3,364 
			  Sexual offences 390 
			  Criminal damage 9,250 
			  Burglary 12,668 
			  Property crime 55,343 
			  Vehicle crime 15,344 
			
			 Cumbria Violence against the person 2,828 
			  Sexual offences 229 
			  Criminal damage 8,047 
			  Burglary 6,868 
			  Property crime 32,224 
			  Vehicle crime 7,207 
			
			 Devon and Cornwall Violence against the person 6,549 
			  Sexual offences 808 
			  Criminal damage 15,232 
			  Burglary 20,017 
			  Property crime 85,692 
			  Vehicle crime 23,233 
			
			 Durham Violence against the person 1,924 
			  Sexual offences 341 
			  Criminal damage 10,518 
			  Burglary 12,209 
			  Property crime 44,514 
			  Vehicle crime 11,108 
			
			 Dyfed-Powys Violence against the person 2,132 
			  Sexual offences 337 
			  Criminal damage 4,497 
			  Burglary 2,590 
			  Property crime 14,722 
			  Vehicle crime 2,372 
			
			 Gloucestershire Violence against the person 1,456 
			  Sexual offences 240 
			  Criminal damage 6,158 
			  Burglary 11,559 
			  Property crime 44,990 
			  Vehicle crime 13,748 
			
			 Lincolnshire Violence against the person 3,051 
			  Sexual offences 329 
			  Criminal damage 7,145 
			  Burglary 10,551 
			  Property crime 39,163 
			  Vehicle crime 7,624 
			
			 Norfolk Violence against the person 2,889 
			  Sexual offences 487 
			  Criminal damage 9,782 
			  Burglary 10,935 
			  Property crime 49,038 
			  Vehicle crime 11,890 
			
			 North Wales Violence against the person 2,575 
			  Sexual offences 480 
			  Criminal damage 11,238 
			  Burglary 7,554 
			  Property crime 36,980 
			  Vehicle crime 7,911 
			
			 North Yorkshire Violence against the person 2,425 
			  Sexual offences 262 
			  Criminal damage 8,537 
			  Burglary 11,359 
			  Property crime 46,898 
			  Vehicle crime 11,721 
			
			 Suffolk Violence against the person 2,448 
			  Sexual offences 400 
			  Criminal damage 7,835 
			  Burglary 6,094 
			  Property crime 31,997 
			  Vehicle crime 6,687 
			
			 West Mercia Violence against the person 3,175 
			  Sexual offences 751 
			  Criminal damage 14,965 
			  Burglary 16,334 
			  Property crime 71,410 
			  Vehicle crime 18,924 
			
			 Wiltshire Violence against the person 2,373 
			  Sexual offences 355 
			  Criminal damage 5,722 
			  Burglary 6,361 
			  Property crime 29,727 
			  Vehicle crime 7,524 
			  Note: The defining of rural police force areas within England and Wales has been taken in accordance with the ACORN ('A Classification Of Residential Neighbourhoods') guidance as published in the Statistical Bulletin 01/02 'Rural Crime England and Wales'. Of the 13 forces given in the table, ACORN defines four of them as 'Most Rural' (Dyfed-Powys, Lincolnshire, North Yorkshire and North Wales), and nine of them as 'Less Rural' (Cambridgeshire, Cumbria, Devon and Cornwall, Durham, Gloucestershire, Norfolk, Suffolk, West Mercia and Wiltshire). 
		
	
	
		
			  Table 2: Numbers of offences recorded in rural police force areas, 1998-99 to 2001-02 
			  Police force area  Offence  1998- 99  1999- 2000  2000- 01  2001- 02 
			 Cambridgeshire Violence against the person 5,345 6,090 6,416 7,345 
			  Sexual offences 431 418 464 560 
			  Criminal damage 11,925 12,110 13,197 13,972 
			  Burglary 12,759 12,377 10,243 11,161 
			  Property crime 59,026 59,810 55,346 59,362 
			  Vehicle crime 13,233 12,443 11,348 12,745 
			   
			 Cumbria Violence against the person 5,582 5,142 4,152 5,334 
			  Sexual offences 200 224 168 199 
			  Criminal damage 8,405 8,943 8,922 10,120 
			  Burglary 5,812 5,455 4,782 4,942 
			  Property crime 32,109 30,395 27,117 30,254 
			  Vehicle crime 6,477 5,414 4,278 4,483 
			   
			 Devon and Cornwall Violence against the person 11,758 12,479 11,992 12,434 
			  Sexual offences 876 936 911 960 
			  Criminal damage 17,722 18,490 18,284 19,875 
			  Burglary 17,808 17,307 15,606 15,257 
			  Property crime 92,381 91,288 84,823 82,186 
			  Vehicle crime 22,270 21,438 20,145 17,549 
			   
			 Durham Violence against the person 4,955 5,397 5,180 6,410 
			  Sexual offences 243 251 238 333 
			  Criminal damage 11,122 10,654 10,375 13,018 
			  Burglary 10,135 9,083 7,626 8,864 
			  Property crime 42,891 40,886 37,128 42,340 
			  Vehicle crime 10,056 9,126 8,047 7,798 
			   
			 Dyfed-Powys Violence against the person 4,680 5,519 5,424 5,517 
			  Sexual offences 317 292 304 292 
			  Criminal damage 4,497 4,417 4,571 4,949 
			  Burglary 2,615 2,072 1,978 2,122 
			  Property crime 16,216 14,999 14,788 14,928 
			  Vehicle crime 2,480 2,203 2,120 2,050 
			   
			 Gloucestershire Violence against the person 3,230 4,240 4,998 4,695 
			  Sexual offences 344 323 348 267 
			  Criminal damage 6,570 7,990 9,087 9,264 
			  Burglary 10,111 9,308 7,809 8,468 
			  Property crime 42,676 44,221 42,221 43,128 
			  Vehicle crime 11,196 10,244 8,464 8,140 
			   
			 Lincolnshire Violence against the person 4,239 3,866 3,743 4,812 
			  Sexual offences 393 325 281 414 
			  Criminal damage 7,728 8,391 9,078 11,282 
			  Burglary 10,257 10,719 9,583 9,592 
			  Property crime 40,036 40,302 39,261 42,565 
			  Vehicle crime 6,944 6,871 6,627 6,782 
			   
			 Norfolk Violence against the person 5,461 6,382 5,777 6,021 
			  Sexual offences 508 415 364 509 
			  Criminal damage 10,393 10,978 11,481 13,065 
			  Burglary 10,154 10,243 9,450 9,043 
			  Property crime 48,725 50,132 49,168 50,355 
			  Vehicle crime 10,834 10,428 9,823 9,797 
			   
			 North Wales Violence against the person 4,703 5,739 5,358 7,349 
			  Sexual offences 334 373 406 466 
			  Criminal damage 9,652 10,102 12,182 14,388 
			  Burglary 7,226 6,892 7,246 7,368 
			  Property crime 36,178 36,211 39,711 43,798 
			  Vehicle crime 7,254 7,501 7,186 7,661 
			   
			 North Yorkshire Violence against the person 4,827 5,101 4,898 5,624 
			  Sexual offences 297 294 289 346 
			  Criminal damage 8,372 8,617 9,167 11,436 
			  Burglary 11,237 10,402 9,829 11,656 
			  Property crime 47,780 45,896 44,290 50,771 
			  Vehicle crime 9,641 8,596 7,585 8,171 
			   
			 Suffolk Violence against the person 3,820 5,303 6,395 7,353 
			  Sexual offences 405 389 421 486 
			  Criminal damage 7,898 9,547 10,150 12,095 
			  Burglary 6,241 6,214 5,738 6,346 
			  Property crime 33,335 35,365 35,456 40,288 
			  Vehicle crime 6,446 6,501 6,291 6,915 
			   
			 West Mercia Violence against the person 6,995 8,213 7,805 17,032 
			  Sexual offences 618 585 537 806 
			  Criminal damage 15,346 17,410 16,817 22,739 
			  Burglary 14,631 14,313 13,369 15,398 
			  Property crime 70,058 72,212 66,487 80,214 
			  Vehicle crime 16,174 15,743 13,218 13,061 
			   
			 Wiltshire Violence against the person 4,390 4,519 4,515 4,379 
			  Sexual offences 404 358 334 378 
			  Criminal damage 6,644 7,151 7,452 8,374 
			  Burglary 6,129 5,718 5,043 5,824 
			  Property crime 31,511 31,701 30,047 32,191 
			  Vehicle crime 6,759 6,598 5,271 5,264 
			  Notes: 1. The offence coverage was extended and counting rules revised from 1998-99. Figures from that date are not directly comparable with those for 1997. 2. The data in this table are prior to the introduction of the National Crime Recording Standard (NCRS). These figures are not directly comparable with those for later years. 
		
	
	
		
			  Table 3: Numbers of offences recorded in rural police force areas, 2002-03 to 2005-06 
			  Police force area  Offence  2002-03  2003-04  2004-05  2005-06 
			 Cambridgeshire Violence against the person 12,574 13,663 13,358 10,158 
			  Sexual offences 694 736 766 799 
			  Criminal damage 16,153 16,534 16,227 14,680 
			  Burglary 12,775 10,257 8,501 8,217 
			  Property crime 68,904 62,777 56,949 52,888 
			  Vehicle crime 13,345 10,672 9,169 8,345 
			   
			 Cumbria Violence against the person 5,725 6,874 9,195 9,250 
			  Sexual offences 214 293 337 358 
			  Criminal damage 10,304 11,629 12,858 13,648 
			  Burglary 4,895 4,613 4,274 3,460 
			  Property crime 30,054 30,570 31,712 30,877 
			  Vehicle crime 4,753 4,114 3,941 3,183 
			   
			 Devon and Cornwall Violence against the person 23,722 25,969 28,334 25,305 
			  Sexual offences 1,149 1,336 1,564 1,527 
			  Criminal damage 26,883 30,116 31,021 31,274 
			  Burglary 15,700 14,024 14,012 12,519 
			  Property crime 99,564 97,289 97,128 91,231 
			  Vehicle crime 19,377 16,601 14,990 13,844 
			   
			 Durham Violence against the person 7,711 6,565 7,028 9,899 
			  Sexual offences 341 362 397 694 
			  Criminal damage 14,067 14,244 15,176 16,322 
			  Burglary 7,656 7,083 6,853 6,660 
			  Property crime 40,758 39,373 37,829 40,083 
			  Vehicle crime 7,446 7,073 5,503 6,086 
			   
			 Dyfed-Powys Violence against the person 6,217 7,909 8,315 7,711 
			  Sexual offences 274 434 503 440 
			  Criminal damage 4,920 7,032 8,186 7,939 
			  Burglary 2,104 2,703 2,875 2,240 
			  Property crime 14,802 19,628 20,744 19,039 
			  Vehicle crime 2,028 2,325 2,331 1,869 
			   
			 Gloucestershire Violence against the person 7,734 8,304 9,549 10,496 
			  Sexual offences 409 403 539 670 
			  Criminal damage 10,103 10,847 10,802 11,259 
			  Burglary 8,694 9,072 7,142 6,260 
			  Property crime 45,110 46,879 41,057 39,302 
			  Vehicle crime 7,740 8,407 6,759 5,698 
			   
			 Lincolnshire Violence against the person 9,238 10,148 10,856 10,813 
			  Sexual offences 583 636 816 703 
			  Criminal damage 13,694 15,176 14,934 14,126 
			  Burglary 10,831 9,052 7,306 7,179 
			  Property crime 49,850 47,213 44,620 44,179 
			  Vehicle crime 7,857 6,503 5,907 5,819 
			   
			 Norfolk Violence against the person 10,607 11,586 12,920 12,504 
			  Sexual offences 676 774 889 1,474 
			  Criminal damage 16,030 17,462 17,470 17,577 
			  Burglary 9,681 8,169 6,577 6,000 
			  Property crime 57,271 54,759 49,999 47,975 
			  Vehicle crime 10,739 8,396 6,291 5,389 
			   
			 North Wales Violence against the person 11,472 10,979 12,027 12,374 
			  Sexual offences 555 569 666 628 
			  Criminal damage 17,079 17,036 15,093 14,663 
			  Burglary 8,534 7,301 5,023 4,472 
			  Property crime 50,250 47,526 38,456 34,441 
			  Vehicle crime 8,093 7,613 5,351 4,168 
			   
			 North Yorkshire Violence against the person 8,108 9,610 12,072 11,491 
			  Sexual offences 448 502 557 637 
			  Criminal damage 13,168 14,732 13,610 12,758 
			  Burglary 11,511 11,062 7,767 7,332 
			  Property crime 56,026 58,530 46,495 44,080 
			  Vehicle crime 9,570 9,516 6,491 6,756 
			   
			 Suffolk Violence against the person 7,949 9,529 10,347 10,017 
			  Sexual offences 588 641 620 664 
			  Criminal damage 11,497 12,817 12,781 13,067 
			  Burglary 6,248 6,396 5,090 5,292 
			  Property crime 38,969 40,143 38,098 38,947 
			  Vehicle crime 6,282 5,782 5,463 5,281 
			   
			 West Mercia Violence against the person 19,848 21,868 18,179 15,699 
			  Sexual offences 923 949 1,139 1,014 
			  Criminal damage 21,258 23,615 21,962 20,563 
			  Burglary 16,375 15,015 12,424 11,066 
			  Property crime 80,028 79,599 71,479 64,217 
			  Vehicle crime 13,076 12,134 10,943 9,752 
			   
			 Wiltshire Violence against the person 6,419 6,302 6,004 7,488 
			  Sexual offences 558 584 525 580 
			  Criminal damage 9,246 9,446 9,020 9,674 
			  Burglary 6,242 5,929 5,120 4,791 
			  Property crime 35,346 34,247 31,634 31,897 
			  Vehicle crime 5,551 5,450 4,945 4,349 
			  Notes: 1. The data in this table take account of the introduction of the National Crime Recording Standard (NCRS) in April 2002. 2. These figures are not directly comparable with those for earlier years. 3. The Sexual Offences Act 2003, introduced in May 2004, altered the definition and coverage of sexual offences.

Crime: USA

John Spellar: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what discussions his Department had with the police departments of  (a) Chicago,  (b) New York and  (c) Los Angeles on methods of countering street gangs and gang culture.

Vernon Coaker: The Strategic Criminal Use of Firearms Intelligence review was carried out in 2005 jointly by the Home Office Police Standards Unit (PSU) and the Association of Chief Police Officers (ACPO) Criminal Use of Firearms Group. This involved visits to New York, Boston and Washington, and discussions with Police Departments, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms.
	The PSU funded ACPO Criminal Use of Firearms Group also visited Washington to learn about gangs and gang culture in the USA. A representative of the Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) recently attended an ACPO Criminal Use of Firearms Intelligence Sub-Group meeting in the UK and presented details of the LAPD forensic approach to tackling gun crime involving gangs.
	The current Director of the Home 0ffice PSU Police and Crime Standards Directorate is Paul Evans, the former Commissioner of Boston Police, who has extensive experience of dealing with gun crime and gangs in the USA.
	The learning from these visits and discussions with law enforcement personnel in other jurisdictions is incorporated into police control strategies.

Crime: Young People

Justine Greening: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many prosecutions for  (a) vehicle theft  (b) theft and handling,  (c) sexual offences,  (d) robbery,  (e) racially aggravated offences,  (f) breach of public order,  (g) (i) domestic and (ii) non-domestic burglary,  (h) motoring offences,  (i) fraud and forgery,  (j) drug offences,  (k) (i) death and (ii) injury by reckless driving,  (l) criminal damage,  (m) breach of (i) statutory order and (ii) bail,  (n) arson and  (o) violence against the person were brought against young people aged 18 years old and under that resulted in  (A) acquittal and  (B) conviction in each year since 2001; and if he will make a statement.

Gerry Sutcliffe: Juveniles are defined in law as being aged 10-17 years of age and are subject to a separate sentencing framework to adults. In the interests of clarity 18 year olds, who are defined as adults, have therefore been excluded from this reply.
	Data from the court proceedings database held by the Office for Criminal Justice Reform for the number of prosecutions, convictions, and acquittals brought against young people aged 17 years and under for the years 2001 to 2005 in England and Wales for parts  (a),  (b),  (c),  (d),  (e),  (f) [for  (f) see offence code 125 offence against public order],  (g),  (h),  (i),  (k) (i) and (ii),  (l),  (m) (ii) [for  (m) (ii) please refer to offence 83 Failing to surrender to bail] can be found in table(s) A to P, which have been placed in the House Library.

Crimes of Violence

Ashok Kumar: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what definition of common assault the police use for the purposes of arresting people for that offence.

Tony McNulty: Common assault is committed when a person either assaults another person or commits a battery. An assault is committed when a person intentionally or recklessly causes another to apprehend the immediate infliction of unlawful force. A battery is committed when a person intentionally and recklessly applies unlawful force to another. The full definition applied by the police is set out in the legal guidance provided by the Crown Prosecution Service and available at:
	http://www.cps.gov.uk/legal/section5/chapter_c.html#06.

Crimes of Violence: Halifax

Linda Riordan: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the violent crime rate is in Halifax; and what it was in 1997.

Vernon Coaker: The number of offences for Halifax is recorded within the Calderdale Crime and Disorder Reduction Partnership (CDRP). CDRPs were set up under the Crime and Disorder Act 1998.The first period in which the total number of offences was recorded for each CDRP is 2001-02.
	The available figures are given in the following table.
	
		
			  Number of violent crimes recorded for Calderdale CDRP, 2001-02 to 2005-06 
			   2001-02  2002-03  2003-04  2004-05  2005-06 
			 All offences 25,168 26,044 27,626 20,991 22,118 
			 Violent crime 2,158 3,336 5,168 4,824 5,643 
			 Percentage of all offences which are violent crime 9 13 19 23 26 
			  Notes: Numbers of recorded crime were affected by changes in reporting and recording following the introduction of the National Crime Recording Standard in April 2002. These data are therefore not comparable with earlier years. Violent crime comprises violence against the person, sexual offences and robbery.

Custodial Treatment

Tom Watson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department 
	(1)  which  (a) retailers,  (b) shopping centres,  (c) town centres and  (d) local authorities have expressed an interest in having a short-term holding facility;
	(2)  what legal advice in relation to  (a) employment and  (b) safety in the workplace legislation he has received on the introduction of short-term holding facilities.

Tony McNulty: holding answer 26 March 2007
	The consultation paper Modernising Police Powers: Review of the Police and Criminal Evidence Act (PACE) 1984 indicates that any short-term holding facility would be under the supervision of a custody officer. Under PACE, a custody officer is appointed by the chief officer for the force concerned for each designated police station. Therefore, we would anticipate that any facility would be under the control of the chief officer. The British Retail Consortium (BRC) believes that the proposal has merit and could help in the fight against rising levels of retail crime if used appropriately. We have had contact with retail outlets and the consultation exercise is seeking views on the appropriateness, use and process of designation of short-term holding facilities.

Departmental Computers

Mark Francois: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department pursuant to his answer of 4 December 2006,  Official Report, column 144W, on departmental computers, how many computers  (a) were stolen from his Department in 2006 and  (b) have been stolen in 2007.

Liam Byrne: In 2006, 19 computers were reported stolen from the Department. This number comprises 17 laptop computers, one PDA and one Blackberry.
	Three computers have been reported stolen in 2007 to date. This number comprises two laptop computers and one Blackberry.

Departments: Advertising

Michael Penning: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what his Department's total spending was on advertising and promotional campaigns in each year since 1997; and what the cost of each campaign was, broken down by costs relating to  (a) television,  (b) radio and  (c) print media.

Liam Byrne: holding answer 19 March 2007
	Home Office spending on advertising and promotional campaigns in 2004-05 and 2005-06 is set out in the following table. The cost of providing figures for earlier years would be disproportionate. Figures given are for media costs only and exclude VAT.
	
		
			  2004-05 
			   
			  Job. No.  Client  Campaign Title  Media Total (inc. VAT)  TV  Radio  Print 
			 262599 Home Drugs Advertising 2004-05 936,688 393,647 221,208 321,833 
			 263090 Home Gun Crime 2004-05 162,042   162,042 
			 263385 Home Acquisitive Crime Reduction 2004-05 6,062,794 3,366,681 771,571 1,924,542 
			 263424 Home Child Protection on the Internet 2004-05 124,285  112,919 11,366 
			 263689 Home Domestic Violence 2004-05 432,263  169,940 262,323 
			 264879 Home Anti-social Behaviour 2004-05 368,492   368,492 
			 266073 Home Police Specials recruitment 2004-05 1,885,559 1,001,000 238,364 646,195 
			 266304 Home Clean Up week 2004-05 25,722   25,722 
			  Home Office Total  9,997,845 4,761,328 1,514,002 3,722,515 
		
	
	
		
			  2005-06 
			   
			  Job. No.  Client  Campaign Title  Media Total (inc. VAT)  TV  Radio  Print 
			 268359 Home Home Office Miscellaneous 2005-06 5,734   5,734 
			 270915 Home Child Protection on the Internet 2005-06 862,229  250,834 611,395 
			 270917 Home Anti-Social Behaviour 2005-06 396,475   396,475 
			 270985 Home Acquisitive Crime Reduction 4,085,297 2,535,453 596,528 953,316 
			 272028 Home Police Specials recruitment 1,389,166 555,600 347,402 486,164 
			 272219 Home Alcohol Misuse Enforcement 2005-06 115,255   115,255 
			 273036 Home Clean Up Campaign 2005-06 39,819   39,819 
			 273211 Home Domestic Violence 2005-06 534, 587  110,302 424,285 
			 273212 Home Car park security scheme 94,260  50,516 43,744 
			 274136 Home Crime Stoppers 2005-06 82,182   82,182 
			 274234 Home Police Higher Potential Development campaign 143,723   143,723 
			 274637 Home Rape 2005-06 66,153  66,153  
			  Home Office Total  7,814,880 3,091.053 1,421,735 3,302,092

Departments: Complaints

David Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many staff worked in dedicated complaints units in his Department and its Executive agencies in  (a) 1997-98,  (b) 2001-02 and  (c) 2005-06; and how many have done so in 2006-07 to date.

Liam Byrne: The Home Office does not have any dedicated complaints units and does not hold any historic information on complaints units.

Departments: Contracts

Mark Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what payments his Department has made to Intellect in each of the last five years.

Liam Byrne: The core Department including the Immigration and Nationality Department has no record of payments to Intellect. One of the Department's agencies, the Identity and Passport Service, has recorded four transactions totalling 2,255 plus VAT.

Departments: Freedom of Information

Michael Wills: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what estimate he has made of the cost to his Department of monitoring the time spent processing requests for information under the Freedom of Information Act 2000 for the purposes of the proposed fees regulations.

Liam Byrne: I refer my hon. Friend to the answer given by the Parliamentary Secretary of the Department for Constitutional Affairs on 22 February 2007,  Official Report, column 865W.

Departments: Golden Arrow

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many meetings the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Criminal Justice System and Offender Management) has attended with representatives of  (a) Golden Arrow and  (b) Sovereign Strategy since taking office; and if he will make a statement.

Gerry Sutcliffe: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to the hon. Member for Wimbledon (Stephen Hammond) on 27 March 2007,  Official Report, column 1443W.
	In addition, a review of my ministerial diary has indicated that I have not met with representatives of Sovereign Strategy in my official capacity since I became the Parliamentary Under Secretary of State.
	On a general basis, Ministers and civil servants meet many people as part of the process of policy development and advice.

Departments: Logos

Mark Francois: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether his Department has commissioned work on logos for  (a) a Ministry for Justice and  (b) other Home Affairs departments.

Liam Byrne: Under the machinery of Government changes announced by the Prime Minister on 29 March, there are no plans currently to change the name or logo of the Home Office. Logos for the Ministry of Justice are a matter for the Department of Constitutional Affairs.

Departments: PFI

Vincent Cable: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what percentage of his Department's budget was taken up by private finance initiative commitments in each of the last 10 years for which information is available; and if he will make a statement.

Liam Byrne: This information is not readily available and the cost of obtaining it would be disproportionate.

Departments: PFI

Vincent Cable: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what percentage of his Department's budget will be taken up by private finance initiative commitments in each of the next 10 years assuming that the budget grows in line with the Treasury's estimates for gross domestic product over the period; and if he will make a statement.

Liam Byrne: The Department's annual payments for private finance initiatives (PFI's) for the next 10 years are:
	
		
			   Total  (000) 
			 2006-07 51,658 
			 2007-08 54,003 
			 2008-09 55,932 
			 2009-10 58,160 
			 2010-11 58,024 
			 2011-12 60,534 
			 2012-13 60,975 
			 2013-14 60,515 
			 2014-15 63,076 
			 2015-16 62,087 
		
	
	In relation to forecasting the percentage of the Department's budget to be taken up by PFI's for the next 10 years, HM Treasury has stated the following:
	While the Treasury makes assumptions about GDP growth in the following decade, the comprehensive spending review is a fundamental assessment of public spending. It would clearly be inappropriate for Departments to forecast their settlements in advance of the review. Where Departments have already settled, the information is publicly available and accurate projections are in place.

Departments: Pressure Groups

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what meetings took place between Ministers in his Department and outside interest groups between 1 January and 31 March; and what the date was of each such meeting.

Gerry Sutcliffe: Ministers and civil servants meet many people as part of the process of policy development and advice. It is not normal practice to disclose details of such meetings.

Departments: Public Appointments

Julia Goldsworthy: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will list the former hon. Members who left Parliament in 2005 who have since been appointed to public bodies by his Department, broken down by party; and who was responsible for making each appointment.

Liam Byrne: No former hon. Members who left Parliament in 2005 have been appointed to Home Office public bodies.

Departments: Surveys

Nicholas Clegg: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department pursuant to the answer of 20 February 2007,  Official Report, column 1505W, on Departments: surveys, if he will place in the Library the results of the monthly staff survey for  (a) January and  (b) February.

John Reid: The monthly staff survey is used for internal management information purposes.
	There is no plan to place the results in the Library of the House.

Departments: Theft

David Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what items valued at above 100 were reported as stolen from his Department's buildings or premises in the last 12 months.

Theresa May: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the value was of items stolen from his Department in 2006.

Liam Byrne: The central Home Office and Immigration and Nationality Directorate reported thefts or losses for non-IT property in 2006 to the value of 250 in respect of postal orders.
	The recorded number of stolen items of IT property for 2006 is 19. Because Home Office IT assets are supplied under managed service contracts, a specific cost cannot be attributed to each item without incurring disproportionate cost.
	The Department has guidelines which should be followed in the event of a theft or loss. All reported thefts or losses are investigated and appropriate action is taken in the light of these investigations.

Departments: Trade Unions

Theresa May: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many meetings  (a) he and  (b) his Department's Ministers held with trade union representatives in 2006.

Gerry Sutcliffe: Ministers and civil servants meet many people as part of the process of policy development and advice. It is not normal practice to disclose details of such meetings.

Deportation

Alex Salmond: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what progress he has made in effecting the deportation of Mr. Aleksandr Latsinnek since the Minister's letter to the hon. Member for Banff and Buchan of 21 December 2006; and if he will make a statement.

Liam Byrne: holding answer 8 March 2007
	It is not our policy to comment on individual cases.

Deportation: Democratic Republic of Congo

Andrew Love: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what steps his Department is taking to monitor the treatment of returned asylum seekers deported from the UK in the Democratic Republic of Congo; and if he will make a statement.

Liam Byrne: We would not return people to a country where they had established that they were at real risk of ill-treatment on return and thus were in need of international protection. If specific allegations are made that any returnee has experienced ill-treatment on return from the UK, then these will be followed up through the FCO.

Deportation: Equatorial Guinea

Harry Cohen: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether Equatorial Guinea is deemed a safe country to which to return failed asylum seekers; and if he will make a statement.

Liam Byrne: We continuously monitor the political and human rights situation in all asylum intake countries including Equatorial Guinea through key governmental, non-governmental and other human rights organisations. Asylum decision-makers take into account the situation in the country of origin as it affects each asylum applicant when making a decision on an asylum claim. Individual claimants who have been found by both the Home Office and the Independent Appeals Process not to be in need of protection are expected to leave the UK.
	If they do not leave voluntarily, they may have their return enforced.

Deportation: Zimbabwe

Vincent Cable: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what discussions he has had in 2007 regarding a change in status for enforcement of deportation to Zimbabwe; and if he will make a statement.

Liam Byrne: We are not currently enforcing removals to Zimbabwe pending the resolution of a test case relating to such removals. On 6 March the Court of Appeal found that, in reaching its determination that the enforced return of failed asylum-seekers to Zimbabwe does not put them at risk of mistreatment, the Asylum and Immigration Tribunal did not fully consider material parts of the evidence of two of the witnesses in this case and has asked the tribunal to look at that evidence again. We continue to expect those found by the asylum decision making and independent appeals process not to need international protection to return to Zimbabwe voluntarily.

Dispersal Orders: Cleveland

Iain Wright: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many dispersal orders were issued in each basic command unit covered by Cleveland police in each of the last three years.

Tony McNulty: The numbers of dispersal orders made in the Cleveland police force area for the last three years is as follows:
	
		
			   Number of dispersal orders 
			 2004 1 
			 2005 4 
			 2006 5 
		
	
	Information is not collected centrally for which basic command unit these orders originated from.

Domestic Violence

Lynda Waltho: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many domestic violence offenders have completed community rehabilitation orders without having  (a) started and  (b) completed the Integrated Domestic Abuse Programme that was a condition of their sentence.

Gerry Sutcliffe: The information requested is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Domestic Violence

Iain Wright: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many reported incidents of domestic abuse there were in  (a) Hartlepool constituency,  (b) Tees Valley sub-region,  (c) the North East region and  (d) the UK in each of the last 10 years.

Gerry Sutcliffe: Data for the number of reported incidents of domestic violence in the police force areas covering the North East region are available from 2001-02 (see table). Data for Cleveland are only available from 2003-04. Data are not available for Hartlepool constituency, the Tees Valley sub-region and England and Wales as a whole.
	
		
			   Northumbria police force area  Durham police force area  Cleveland police force area  Regional total 
			 2006-07 24,348 n/a n/a 24,348 
			 2005-06 22,964 8,170 12,493 43,627 
			 2004-05 22,969 8,911 9,689 41,569 
			 2003-04 22,424 8,262 9,892 40,578 
			 2002-03 21,072 7,917 n/a 28,989 
			 2001-02 20,845 7,551 n/a 28,396

Domestic Violence: Greater London

Sarah Teather: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many cases of domestic violence against  (a) men,  (b) women and  (c) children were reported in each London borough in each of the last seven years.

Vernon Coaker: The information requested is not centrally available.

Driving Offences

Paul Rowen: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many drivers were found guilty of driving  (a) without insurance and  (b) without a valid driving licence in each police force area in each of the last five years; and what the average penalty imposed in each police force was for such an offence in each year.

Vernon Coaker: holding answer 26 March 2007
	Available information taken from the Court Proceedings Database held by the Office for Criminal Justice Reform, from 2000 to 2004 (latest available) is provided in the tables.
	2005 data will be available later this year.
	
		
			  Table A: Total findings of guilt and average penalty imposed at all courts for the offence of using a motor vehicle uninsured against third party risks( 1)  by police force area. England and Wales, 2000 to 2004 
			  Number of offences 
			   2000  2001  2002 
			   Findings of guilt  Average fine  ()  Findings of guilt  Average fine  ()  Findings of guilt  Average fine  () 
			 Avon and Somerset 9,578 182 8,455 130 9,766 133 
			 Bedfordshire 2,323 226 2,916 164 3,184 169 
			 Cambridgeshire 2,226 182 1,989 119 2,298 118 
			 Cheshire 4,110 211 3,927 149 4,600 153 
			 Cleveland 3,597 179 3,643 167 4,325 173 
			 Cumbria 2,699 265 2,906 152 2,888 151 
			 Derbyshire 3,945 296 4,261 337 4,736 355 
			 Devon and Cornwall 5,890 179 5,742 133 6,380 132 
			 Dorset 3,548 261 2,986 121 3,388 114 
			 Durham 4,338 160 4,361 118 4,632 122 
			 Essex 5,356 123 5,417 101 5,401 104 
			 Gloucestershire 2,548 240 2,692 91 2,297 86 
			 Greater Manchester 24,020 232 26,600 152 27,805 151 
			 Hampshire 7,578 136 7,677 119 8,135 122 
			 Hertfordshire 3,332 204 3,691 155 4,214 166 
			 Humberside 4,065 137 3,657 122 3,576 132 
			 Kent 6,431 271 7,063 209 7,722 192 
			 Lancashire 11,054 219 9,812 111 11,107 113 
			 Leicestershire 6,752 254 6,849 134 7,435 135 
			 Lincolnshire 3,321 188 2,970 133 3,070 134 
			 London, City of 777 375 1,021 369 1,333 368 
			 Merseyside 7,813 207 7,794 163 8,688 167 
			 Metropolitan Police 20,247 169 22,677 139 27,307 140 
			 Norfolk 2,851 210 3,040 99 3,610 107 
			 Northamptonshire 2,998 280 1,643 280 913 339 
			 Northumbria 9,430 144 9,251 130 9,364 135 
			 North Yorkshire 2,572 211 2,216 130 2,124 136 
			 Nottinghamshire 6,082 150 6,261 152 6,005 156 
			 South Yorkshire 8,956 170 10,163 128 10,101 137 
			 Staffordshire 6,760 198 4,723 152 5,764 163 
			 Suffolk 2,330 183 2,387 128 2,862 138 
			 Surrey 2,577 218 2,826 201 3,158 215 
			 Sussex 3,808 167 4,016 118 3,730 117 
			 Thames Valley 7,456 250 7,128 134 8,334 135 
			 Warwickshire 2,316 188 2,672 156 2,395 168 
			 West Mercia 5,542 263 5,766 176 5,858 180 
			 West Midlands 18,010 201 18,221 169 22,202 192 
			 West Yorkshire 15,649 209 15,934 120 14,043 123 
			 Wiltshire 2,625 204 3,281 283 3,170 286 
			 Dyfed-Powys 2,076 169 1,914 155 2,293 166 
			 Gwent 3,808 208 3,836 148 3,676 154 
			 North Wales 2,848 230 2,565 144 3,003 150 
			 South Wales 10,335 188 9,809 159 11,607 173 
			 England and Wales 264,577 203 266,758 150 288,499 155 
		
	
	
		
			   2003( 2)  2004 
			   Findings of guilt  Average fine()  Findings of guilt  Average fine() 
			 Avon and Somerset 10,633 138 10,925 154 
			 Bedfordshire 3,524 137 3,220 143 
			 Cambridgeshire 2,728 131 2,678 152 
			 Cheshire 5,414 167 5,412 179 
			 Cleveland 4,017 171 5,124 189 
			 Cumbria 2,868 159 2,762 169 
			 Derbyshire 4,956 367 5,557 367 
			 Devon and Cornwall 6,635 127 6,217 134 
			 Dorset 4,276 125 3,634 158 
			 Durham 4,535 121 4,065 116 
			 Essex 5,487 112 5,368 164 
			 Gloucestershire 2,599 133 2,451 147 
			 Greater Manchester 29,826 157 26,939 167 
			 Hampshire 8,148 124 7,509 131 
			 Hertfordshire 5,099 181 5,401 198 
			 Humberside 4,460 137 4,348 150 
			 Kent 7,485 191 8,377 197 
			 Lancashire 13,770 141 10,011 156 
			 Leicestershire 8,114 138 7,822 150 
			 Lincolnshire 4,298 148 4,781 179 
			 London, City of 1,606 334 1,125 230 
			 Merseyside 10,756 148 10,555 137 
			 Metropolitan Police 31,702 143 36,707 147 
			 Norfolk 4,485 139 3,750 152 
			 Northamptonshire 3,261 245 4,671 183 
			 Northumbria 9,904 135 9,159 137 
			 North Yorkshire 2,369 141 2,537 166 
			 Nottinghamshire 7,730 152 7,833 188 
			 South Yorkshire 9,965 146 8,571 125 
			 Staffordshire 6,128 166 6,370 186 
			 Suffolk 3,594 133 3,548 136 
			 Surrey 2,900 221 2,604 197 
			 Sussex 3,694 138 3,102 162 
			 Thames Valley 9,759 158 9,208 198 
			 Warwickshire 2,905 164 3,438 210 
			 West Mercia 6,051 165 5,540 193 
			 West Midlands 25,557 200 27,734 206 
			 West Yorkshire 17,101 134 20,308 144 
			 Wiltshire 3,022 280 2,794 200 
			 Dyfed-Powys 2,243 172 1,650 187 
			 Gwent 3,465 171 2,980 157 
			 North Wales 4,542 149 4,797 154 
			 South Wales 11,756 158 11,232 154 
			 England and Wales 323,367 160 322,814 169 
			 (1) An offence under the Road Traffic Act 1988 s. 143(2). (2) As from 1 June 2003, 'driving a motor vehicle while uninsured against third party risks' became a fixed penalty offence.  Note:  1. It is known that for some police force areas, the reporting of court proceedings in particular those relating to summary motoring offences, may be less than complete. Work is underway to ensure that the magistrates courts' case management system currently being implemented by the Department for Constitutional Affairs reports all motoring offences to the Office for Criminal Justice Reform. This will enable more complete figures to be disseminated. 2. Every effort is made to ensure that the figures presented are accurate and complete. However, it is important to note that these data have been extracted from large administrative data systems generated by the courts and police forces. As a consequence, care should be taken to ensure data collection processes and their inevitable limitations are taken into account when those data are used.

Driving Offences

John Battle: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many drivers were prosecuted for driving without insurance in each year since 1990.

Vernon Coaker: Information on proceedings for 'using motor vehicle uninsured against third party risks' can be found in the annual Home Office publication Offences relating to motor vehicles, England and Wales, Supplementary tables (latest available covers 2004). Copies are available in the Library. The publication is available on the Research Development and Statistics (RDS) website.
	The link to the publication on the main website is:
	http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/rds/pdfs06/hosb0506supp.pdf
	2005 data will be available later this year.

Driving Under Influence

Alistair Carmichael: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the  (a) maximum,  (b) minimum and  (c) average penalty imposed for the offence of drink driving in each police authority was in the most recent year for which figures are available.

Vernon Coaker: Available information taken from the court proceedings database held by the Office for Criminal Justice Reform, for 2004 (latest available) is given in the following table.
	Data for 2005 will be available later in the year.
	
		
			  Court imposed maximum, minimum and average fine for driving etc. after consuming alcohol or taking drugs( 1) , by police force area, England and Wales, 2004 
			  Rounded 
			  Police force area  Total number of fines  Of which:  the maximum fine given ()  Of which:  the minimum fine given ()  Average fine( 2)  () 
			 Avon and Somerset 2,000 1,200 25 180 
			 Bedfordshire 700 800 20 200 
			 Cambridgeshire 800 1,000 30 200 
			 Cheshire 1,600 1,000 (3)10 200 
			 Cleveland 600 1,000 25 210 
			 Cumbria 600 350 30 190 
			 Derbyshire 1,200 2,000 (3)10 320 
			 Devon and Cornwall 1,800 2,000 (3)10 200 
			 Dorset 900 1,200 30 210 
			 Durham 800 750 (3)10 170 
			 Essex 1,700 1,200 20 200 
			 Gloucestershire 700 1,500 (3)10 170 
			 Greater Manchester 3,100 2,500 (3)10 200 
			 Hampshire 2,600 4,000 (3)10 190 
			 Hertfordshire 1,300 2,000 (3)10 230 
			 Humberside 1,100 1,500 50 210 
			 Kent 2,200 2,500 20 250 
			 Lancashire 1,900 2,000 20 210 
			 Leicestershire 1,100 1,000 (3)10 200 
			 Lincolnshire 900 1,500 40 200 
			 London, City of 100 1,500 (3)10 250 
			 Merseyside 1,700 4,500 15 190 
			 Metropolitan Police 9,500 5,000 10 260 
			 Norfolk 900 1,200 (3)10 190 
			 Northamptonshire 600 2,500 30 250 
			 Northumbria 1,800 2,000 30 190 
			 North Yorkshire 800 2,500 10 210 
			 Nottinghamshire 1,000 2,000 25 260 
			 South Yorkshire 1,500 1,500 10 190 
			 Staffordshire 1,200 2,500 25 220 
			 Suffolk 900 3,000 20 230 
			 Surrey 1,100 2,000 10 240 
			 Sussex 1,600 2,500 (3)10 210 
			 Thames Valley 2,500 4,000 30 240 
			 Warwickshire 600 1,000 (3)10 230 
			 West Mercia 1,200 2,000 (3)10 230 
			 West Midlands 3,800 2,000 (3)10 220 
			 West Yorkshire 2,600 3,000 (3)10 170 
			 Wiltshire 800 1,500 30 240 
			 Dyfed-Powys 700 2,000 25 210 
			 Gwent 800 1,500 30 200 
			 North Wales 1,000 1,000 (3)10 180 
			 South Wales 1,900 2,500 35 210 
			 (1) Offences under the Road Traffic Act 1988 ss. 4 (1) and (2); 5 (1) and (b); 6 (4); 7 (6) and s7A as added by Police Reform Act 2006 s56. (2) Rounded to the nearest 10. (3) Or less.  Notes: 1. Standard Rate maximum fine is Level 5 (5,000) 2. It is known that for some police force areas, the reporting of court proceedings in particular those relating to summary motoring offences, may be less than complete. Work is under way to ensure that the magistrates courts case management system being implemented by the Department for Constitutional Affairs reports all motoring offences to the Office for Criminal Justice Reform. This will enable more complete figures to be disseminated. 3. Every effort is made to ensure that the figures presented are accurate and complete. However, it is important to note that these data have been extracted from large administrative data systems generated by the courts and police forces. As a consequence, care should be taken to ensure data collection processes and their inevitable limitations are taken into account when those data are used.

Drugs: Bridgend

Madeleine Moon: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department 
	(1)  how many people were convicted of drug offences in Bridgend in each of the last five years;
	(2)  how many people in Bridgend were prosecuted for drug dealing in the last 12 months; and how many of those prosecutions arose as a result of Operation Crackdown.

Vernon Coaker: Data on persons found guilty for drug offences under the Misuse of Drugs ACT 1971 at Bridgend courts from 2001 up to and including 2005 are given in the table.
	21 people were found guilty under the act for drug dealing offences in Bridgend in 2005. It is not centrally possible to determine which of these were as the result of Operation Crackdown.
	Every effort is made to ensure that the figures presented are accurate and complete. However, it is important to note that these data have been extracted from large administrative data systems generated by the courts, police forces and other agencies. As a consequence, care should be taken to ensure data collection processes and their inevitable limitations are taken into account when those data are used.
	
		
			  Persons found guilty of drug offences( 1) , Bridgend courts, 2001 to 2005 
			   Number of persons 
			 2001 169 
			 2002 205 
			 2003 198 
			 2004 183 
			 2005 141 
			 (1) These data are on the principal offence basis. They relate to convictions at Bridgend magistrates and youth courts together with those involving the Crown Court that resulted from a committal at Bridgend.

Drugs: Rehabilitation Centres

Humfrey Malins: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many beds exist in drug residential rehabilitation centres; how many such places are occupied by convicted offenders; and if he will provide increased funding for such beds.

Vernon Coaker: Nationally, there are around 120 drug and alcohol residential rehabilitation services in the community with approximately 3,000 bed spaces.
	Offenders can access residential drug treatment as part of a Community Order with a Drug Rehabilitation Requirement (DRR)/Drug Treatment and Testing Order (DTTO) or post-custodial licence, where assessed as suitable on an individual basis by a qualified professional. Figures relating to the number of these beds which are occupied by convicted defendants are not held centrally.
	The main source of funding for treatment is the Pooled Treatment Budget for substance misuse (PTB). The national PTB for 2006-07 is 385 million. This is 28 per cent. more than the previous year. The PTB in 2007-08 will be a record 398 million which will be nearly three times greater than the original PTB created in 2001-02 (142 million). Additionally, in February 2007, the Government allocated 54 million for the development of in-patient and residential rehabilitation substance.

Drugs: Rehabilitation Centres

Humfrey Malins: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will increase the number of beds in residential drug rehabilitation centres.

Caroline Flint: I have been asked to reply.
	The Department of Health announced the allocation of 54.3 million to support increases in the capacity and improved outcomes for residential and in-patient drug and alcohol services on 23 February 2007.
	16,757,700 is recommended for spend within the residential rehabilitation sector providing an additional 142 units of residential rehabilitation provision plus improved service quality through refurbishments and improved access for disabled users and families.

Drugs: Testing

Humfrey Malins: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will introduce  (a) mandatory daily drug testing and  (b) random drug testing for those defendants subject to a drug rehabilitation requirement under the Criminal Justice Act 2003.

Gerry Sutcliffe: There is already provision under section 209(1)(b) of the Criminal Justice Act 2003 for the drug testing of offenders subject to a drug rehabilitation requirement of a community order or suspended sentence order.
	The frequency of testing, which we consider to be cost effective, is prescribed within National Standards: 2005 which require that:
	'Offenders must be tested (and the results recorded) at least twice per week during the first 16 weeks of the requirement, which may be reduced to once per week thereafter if the offender manager evidences that sufficient progress has been made. Where an offender is at the lowest level of the community sentence band drug testing should be at a minimum frequency of once per week during the first 16 weeks of the requirement. In addition, where an offender is in residential rehabilitation drug testing may be at a minimum frequency of once per week for the first 16 weeks of the requirement.'

Electronic Tagging

Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many crimes were committed in each of the last five years by offenders wearing electronic tags; and if he will make a statement.

Gerry Sutcliffe: Over 137,000 offenders have been released on the Home Detention Curfew scheme from its inception in January 1999 to the end of February 2007.
	The following table sets out the number of offenders, who have been cautioned, convicted or are awaiting prosecution for offences while they were subject to the home detention curfew scheme, as currently notified to the National Offender Management Service. It also gives a breakdown of the number of offences committed.
	
		
			   Number of offenders cautioned, convicted or awaiting prosecution for an offence committed whil e  they were subject to the home detention curfew scheme  Total number of offences committed, or allegedly committed by the offenders 
			 1999 71 131 
			 1999-2000 294 595 
			 2000-01 244 392 
			 2001-02 208 392 
			 2002-03 584 1,071 
			 2003-04 298 2,272 
			 2004-05 1,311 2,155 
			 2005-06 1,214 1,982 
		
	
	Some of those awaiting prosecution will be acquitted or have their charges dropped.
	Information on further convictions for offenders subject to other electronic monitoring schemes apart from home detention curfew is not held centrally.

Entry Clearances

Clare Short: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when Yousef Ahmedali HO ref: A1142900, a constituent of the right hon. Member for Birmingham, Ladywood, will receive notice of a decision on his case.

Liam Byrne: The immigration and nationality directorate wrote to my hon. Friend on 15 March with the information requested.

Female Genital Mutilation

David Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what assessments he has  (a) made and  (b) published on the effectiveness of the Female Genital Mutilation Act 2003 since the Act was passed.

Gerry Sutcliffe: Anecdotal evidence suggests that the Female Genital Mutilation Act 2003 has had some deterrent effect, but this is not something that can be measured. There have so far been no prosecutions under the Act but educating communities to abandon the practice is the best way forward to break the cycle of mutilation and the Act is being widely used for that purpose.

Firearms: Crime

Daniel Kawczynski: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many gun crimes were committed in each of the last 10 years with  (a) legally registered weapons and  (b) illegally held weapons.

Tony McNulty: The requested data are not in a form suitable for publication.

Firearms: Licensing

Nicholas Clegg: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether the Police Firearms Licensing Management System is  (a) on time and  (b) on budget.

John Reid: The introduction of the National Firearms Licensing Management System (NFLMS) to all 43 forces in England and Wales was completed ahead of schedule on 26 March 2007.
	The PNC link between NFLMS and PNC will be switched on as soon as forces have had an opportunity to complete the necessary data cleansing exercise identified during earlier pilots.
	The budget allocated to NFLMS for the financial year ending 31 March 2007 was 2.5 million and included development costs, support to forces for data cleansing and capital recharges.
	Expenditure to date (from 1 April 2006 to 30 March 2007) before accruals (invoices not yet received for work already carried out) is approximately 2.3 million.

Fraud: Credit Cards

Iain Wright: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what steps he is taking to reduce the risk of credit card fraud.

Vernon Coaker: The Government are determined to tackle the problem of fraud, whether the victim is a multi-million pound organisation or a single individual and work closely with business and the police to introduce ways of preventing fraud. Recently published figures from APACS (the UK Payments Association) show that losses from plastic card fraud fell by 3 per cent. in 2006 compared with 2005.
	A great deal of fraud can be prevented if organisations have proper fraud prevention measures in place and if individuals protect their cards and financial details. Prevention initiatives complement fraud investigation and prosecution. The Home Office therefore supports fraud prevention initiatives being introduced by the finance and retail sectors including Chip and PIN and other technical solutions.
	The Home Office provides extra funds to the City of London Police to expand its economic crime department In addition to taking on a lead force role for tackling fraud across London and the South East the force hosts Operation Halo, the National Cheque and Plastic Card intelligence database. Dedicated officers link up with financial service industry and other police forces. This ensures that intelligence is analysed and assessed in quick time, allowing operational action to be taken.
	The Government publish fraud prevention advice on the Home Office and Consumer Direct websites and the Home Office maintains two websites to combat fraud. The 'e-tailing mini site' forms part of the crime reduction website and provides information to help both consumers and businesses protect themselves when buying and selling over the internet. The fraud mini site which is also part of the crime reduction website deals with fraud more generally and provides information for police and crime reduction practitioners, for businesses and for consumers. The Home Office has also published (jointly with the banking industry) a card fraud prevention leaflet that contains useful advice for members of the public. The leaflet was distributed to Crime and Disorder Reduction Partnerships and Crime Prevention Officers in all police forces in England and Wales, The leaflet is also available on the Home Office website.

Fraud: Credit Cards

Iain Wright: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many cases of credit card fraud were committed in  (a) Hartlepool constituency and  (b) Tees Valley sub-region in each of the last 10 years.

Vernon Coaker: The available information relates to crimes recorded by the police in the Hartlepool Crime and Disorder Reduction Partnership (CDRP). At this level, figures for cheque and credit card fraud are available from 2001-02.
	The available figures are given in the following table.
	Statistics for the Tees Valley sub-region are not available.
	
		
			  Offences of cheque and credit card fraud in Hartlepool CDRP 
			   Number of offences 
			 2001-02 61 
			 2002-03(1) 63 
			 2003-04 55 
			 2004-05 95 
			 2005-06 76 
			 (1) The National Crime Recording Standard was introduced in April 2002. Figures before and after that date are not directly comparable.

Highly Skilled Migrant Programme: Medicine

Iain Wright: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what recent discussions he has had with the Secretary of State for Health on international medical graduates who entered the United Kingdom as part of the Highly Skilled Migrants Programme; and if he will make a statement.

Liam Byrne: The Home Secretary has regular discussions with the Secretary of State for Health about immigration and other issues.

Homicide

Harry Cohen: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what steps he is taking to tackle honour killings.

Gerry Sutcliffe: The Police Standards Unit in the Home Office has been working closely with the Association of Chief Police Officers (ACPO) and National Centre for Policing Excellence (NCPE) to raise the awareness of police officers and staff in relation to the identification and investigation of honour related violence, and developed a risk assessment toolkit for domestic violence incidents which includes the presence of factors in relation of honour crimes. Guidance on Investigating Domestic Violence, produced on behalf of ACPO and CENTREX, the national police training provider, in 2004, contains guidance on investigating cases that may be committed in the name of honour. In October and November 2006 the Attorney-General and Baroness Scotland jointly hosted two seminars on honour killings with community leaders. The Government will shortly be re-launching the national Honour-Based Violence/Forced Marriage Working Group, to bring together a wide range of statutory agencies, Government Departments and NGOs.
	Internationally, the UK and Turkey jointly presented the 2004 UN General Assembly Resolution on Working Towards the Elimination of Crimes Against Women and Girls in the Name of Honour.

Human Trafficking

Anthony Steen: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department pursuant to the answer of 5 March 2007,  Official Report, columns 1751-52W, on human trafficking, how many of those charged with offences relating to the trafficking of people in 2005 were  (a) convicted and  (b) foreign nationals.

Vernon Coaker: holding answer 15 March 2007
	 Information on charging and the outcome of charging is not held within the Office for Criminal Justice Reform.
	From data on the court proceedings database held by the Office for Criminal Justice Reform, the following table shows the number of persons proceeded against at magistrates courts and found guilty at all courts for various offences relating to trafficking of people in England and Wales, 2005.
	These data are not related to data previously provided by the Crown Prosecution Services (CPS) for PQ 122478 answered 5 March 2007,  Official Report, columns 1751-52W. The court proceedings database does not hold data on the nationality of the defendant.
	The figures previously provided in PQ 122478 refer to the number of offences charged that reach a first hearing. This is different from the number of persons proceeded against and is based on the principal offence only. Hence CPS figures for charging will be higher than our figures for proceeded against, and found guilty.
	The CPS does not hold any information on the outcome of proceedings at specific offence level, only a count of the number of offences falling under specific acts and sections of Acts.
	CPS systems do not include an analysis of the nationality of defendants.
	
		
			  Number of persons proceeded against at magistrates courts and found guilty at all courts for various offences relating to trafficking of people in England and Wales, 2005( 1,2,3) 
			  Statute  Offence description  Prosecuted  Found guilty 
			 Sexual Offences Act 2003 s.57 Arrange/facilitate arrival into the UK of a person for sexual exploitation (Trafficking) 10 9 
			 
			 Sexual Offences Act 2003 s.58 Arrange/facilitate travel within the UK of a person for sexual exploitation (Trafficking) 16 3 
			 
			 Sexual Offences Act 2003 s.59 Arrange/facilitate departure from the UK of a person for sexual exploitation (Trafficking) 0 0 
			 
			 Immigration Act 1971 sec. 25(l)(a) Knowingly concerned in making or carrying out arrangements for securing or facilitating the entry into the UK of anyone whom he knows or has reasonable cause for believing to be an illegal entrant 4 84 
			 
			 Immigration Act 1971 sec. 25(l)(b) as added by Asylum and Immigration Act 1996 s.5 Knowingly concerned in making or carrying out arrangements for securing or facilitating the entry into the UK of anyone whom he knows or has reasonable cause for believing to be an asylum claimant 0 3 
			 
			 Immigration Act 1971 s25 as added by Nationality, Immigration and Asylum Act 2002 s143 Assisting unlawful immigration to member state (was 194/11 and 12) 99 55 
			 
			 Immigration Act 1971 s25A as added by Nationality, Immigration and Asylum Act 2002 s143 Helping asylum-seeker to enter the UK 15 7 
			 
			 Immigration Act 1971 s25B as added by Nationality, Immigration and Asylum Act 2002 s143 Assisting entry to UK in breach of deportation order or exclusion order 5 2 
			 
			 Immigration Act, 1971 sec. 25(2) Knowingly harbouring an illegal entrant (or person believed to be an illegal entrant) 1 1 
			 
			 Immigration Act 1971 sec. 25(2) Knowingly harbouring a non citizen who has remained in UK beyond the time allowed or has failed to observe a condition of the leave 1 1 
			 
			 Total  151 165 
			 (1) These data are on the principal offence basis. (2) Every effort is made to ensure that the figures presented are accurate and complete. However, it is important to note that these data have been extracted from large administrative data systems generated by the courts and police forces. As a consequence, care should be taken to ensure data collection processes and their inevitable limitations are taken into account when those data are used. (3) Prosecutions are counted by date of final outcome in the magistrates court. Guilty figures are counted by the date of sentence in both magistrates courts and Crown Courts. Hence guilty figures can exceed prosecutions where they reflect cases of people being found guilty in the magistrates court and committed for sentence to the Crown Court, the two events being counted in two different years.  Source: RDS Office for Criminal Justice Reform

Human Trafficking

Peter Bone: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will bring forward proposals to establish a UK Commissioner on Human Trafficking.

Vernon Coaker: We recognise the need for a more formalised identification and referral procedure and a referral mechanism will be developed as part of the implementation of the Council of Europe Convention. Further consideration will need to be given as to the most suitable structure and agency for operating this process. The model adopted will take into account existing best practice and the need to tailor any system to suit the national circumstances of the United Kingdom.

Human Trafficking

Damian Green: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many beds are provided by the Poppy Project; and what the percentage occupancy figures were for these beds in each of the last six months.

Vernon Coaker: The Government fund the Poppy project to provide an outreach service and 35 bed-spaces, of which 25 are crisis intensive support places and 10 are resettlement places. Women who apply for asylum continue to be supported by the Poppy project but are accommodated by the National Asylum Support Service. This helps to free crisis spaces for new referrals.
	Additionally, there are a number of independently funded voluntary organisations that are able to accommodate and support victims of human trafficking for sexual exploitation.
	The Government published a UK Action Plan on Tackling Human Trafficking on 23 March 2007. This outlines a range of measures to help improve the identification and referral of victims.
	The table details the bed-space occupancy figures for the Poppy project in the last six months.
	
		
			  Percentage of Poppy project bed-spaces occupied in the last six months 
			   Percentage of bed-spaces occupied (out of 35) 
			 September 2006 42 
			 October 2006 49 
			 November 2006 49 
			 December 2006 37 
			 January 2007 40 
			 February 2007 51

Human Trafficking

Lynne Featherstone: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when the Minister expects the UK to ratify the Council of Europe Convention against Trafficking in Human Beings.

Vernon Coaker: holding answer 27 March 2007
	The Home Secretary signed the Council of Europe Convention on 26 March and we are now beginning to develop details on how implementation will be taken forward.
	It will inevitably take some time to move from signature to ratification of the Convention. Unlike some of our Council of Europe colleagues the UK will not ratify the Convention until all changes to domestic legislation, processes and guidance are in place to ensure that we fully comply with its terms.

Human Trafficking: Wales

Peter Bone: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what estimate he has made of the number of people trafficked into Wales in each of the last three years; and if he will make a statement.

Vernon Coaker: We are not fully aware of the extent and nature of trafficking into the United Kingdom.
	Home Office research suggests that in 2003 in the United Kingdom there were approximately 4,000 women who were victims of human trafficking for the purposes of sexual exploitation. There are no available regionalised figures, however the initial findings from Operation Pentameter suggest that the problem is not confined solely to England as the recent case at Cardiff Crown indicates.
	As stated in the UK's Action Plan on tackling Human Trafficking, copies of which I have placed in the Library of the House, we intend to carry out further research to establish the scale and extent of the problem within our borders in relation to trafficking both for sexual and non-sexual purposes.

Hunting: Yorkshire and Humberside

Linda Riordan: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many hunts in Yorkshire have been prosecuted for breaking the law since the hunting with dogs ban was introduced.

Tony McNulty: The Hunting Act 2004 came into effect on 18 February 2005.
	Data from the court proceedings database held by the Office for Criminal Justice reform show that there were no prosecutions in Yorkshire police force area for hunting a wild mammal with a dog under the Hunting Act 2004 Sections 1 and 6.

Identity Cards

Nicholas Clegg: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department pursuant to his answer of 7 February 2007,  Official Report, column 987W, on identity cards, what charges will be made for verification through the Employer Verification Service; and what the features will be of the proposed enhanced service.

John Reid: Employers are not being charged for the Employer Verification Service during the initial development period.
	We are engaging with organisations in the piloting of the service. Through this activity, and through planned market research, we will identify what enhancements employers would like to see from any future services and what would benefit them. We will continue to keep this matter under review.

Identity Cards: Newspaper Press

Bill Wiggin: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department to how many local papers Ministers in his Department have written on identity cards; and at what cost.

Joan Ryan: I, or Ministerial colleagues, have written 56 letters to local newspapers since 14 November 2006, including letters that may have been printed in more than one local publication that forms part of a larger newspaper group. These letters have clarified the Government's proposals for introducing interviews for first-time passport applicants together with the plans for the National Identity Scheme, including identity cards. They have been in response to a number of local press articles or letters to the newspapers' editors. The cost has not been separately identified as it forms part of our routine work.

Illegal Immigrants

Cheryl Gillan: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many individuals were taken into police custody in England and Wales suspected of being illegal immigrants during January 2007.

Liam Byrne: The information requested regarding the immigration status of all those arrested is not collated centrally by the Office for Criminal Justice Reform. Records are not broken down by police force and therefore an answer to this question could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Illegal Immigrants: Northern Ireland

Lady Hermon: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what recent estimate he has made of the number of people who are living in Northern Ireland illegally; how many were so living in each of the last five years; and if he will make a statement on the steps being taken by his Department to reduce the number.

Liam Byrne: holding answer 2 March 2007
	As my right hon. Friend the Home Secretary set out in his evidence to the Home Affairs Select Committee on 23 May 2006, no Government have been able to produce an accurate figure for the number of people who are in the United Kingdom, including Northern Ireland, illegally, and that remains the case.

Illegal Immigrants: Prostitution

Lindsay Hoyle: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what estimate he has made of the number of female illegal immigrants being forced to work in the sex industry in  (a) England and  (b) Lancashire.

Vernon Coaker: Given the nature of problem it is difficult to estimate the extent and scale to which this crime takes place into, and within, the UK.
	Home Office research suggests that in 2003 in the United Kingdom there were approximately 4,000 women who were victims of human trafficking for the purposes of sexual exploitation. Of these it is not known how many entered the UK illegally but intelligence suggests that many victims of trafficking for sexual exploitation enter the country legally. There are no available regionalised figures. However, the initial findings from Operation Pentameter suggest that the problem is not confined to solely the major conurbations.
	As stated in the UK's Action Plan on Tackling Human Trafficking, copies of which I have placed in the Library of the House, we intend to carry out further research to establish the scale and extent of the problem within our borders.

Immigrants: Detention Centres

Jeremy Corbyn: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many children of failed asylum applicants are held in immigration detention centres; and what the equivalent figure was for  (a) March 2006 and  (b) March 2005.

Liam Byrne: holding  answer  22 March 2007
	 Statistics are published showing the number of people detained solely under Immigration Act powers on the last Saturday of each quarter.
	As at 26 March 2005, there were 40 asylum applicants, including dependants, recorded as being under 18, detained solely under Immigration Act powers. As at 25 March 2006, there were 50 asylum applicants, including dependants, recorded as being under 18, detained solely under Immigration Act powers. These figures are rounded to the nearest five.
	The number of children detained with their families solely under Immigration Act powers will change from day to day. However, internal management information shows that, as at 22 March 2007 there were 67 minors detained with their families solely under Immigration Act powers. This figure includes asylum applicants and non-asylum cases. This figure does not constitute part of National Statistics as it is based on management information. This information has not been quality assured under National Statistics protocols and should be treated as provisional.
	It is not possible to identify, within three figures, which stage of the asylum process a person has reached when detained; this information would be available by examination of individual records only at disproportionate cost. The decision to detain is made on a case by case basis and may be appropriate in one or more of the following circumstances: to effect removal; while a person's identity and basis of claim are established; where a person presents a risk of absconding or where an asylum application is capable of being decided quickly.
	Minors are detained only in two limited circumstances: first, as part of a family group whose detention is considered appropriate; second, when unaccompanied, while alternative care arrangements are made and normally just overnight. While the detention of families with children is very regrettable, it nevertheless remains necessary in appropriate cases in order to maintain an effective immigration control and to tackle abuses of the asylum system.
	Information on the number of persons detained solely under Immigration Act powers is published in the Quarterly Asylum Bulletins, on the Home Office's Research, Development and Statistics website at:
	http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/rds/immigration1.html.

Immigrants: Employment

Vincent Cable: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what discussions he has had with the Treasury on allowing immigrants the right to work while awaiting a decision on their immigration status.

Liam Byrne: There have been no discussions with the Treasury about allowing those awaiting a decision on their immigration or asylum applications to work.

Immigrants: Wales

Cheryl Gillan: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many people suspected of being in the United Kingdom illegally have been taken into custody by each of the police forces in Wales since April 2006.

Liam Byrne: holding answer 27 February 2007
	The information requested regarding the immigration status of all those arrested is not collated centrally by the Office for Criminal Justice Reform. Records are not broken down by police force and therefore an answer to this question could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Immigrants: Wales

Cheryl Gillan: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many persons taken into custody by the police forces in Wales as suspected illegal immigrants have been released on Immigration Service instructions and failed to report to the destination indicated by the immigration services since April 2006.

Liam Byrne: Current management information systems cannot provide comprehensive information: this is made more difficult if an unverifiable identity is given at the time of arrest.

Immigrants: Wales

Cheryl Gillan: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department 
	(1)  when  (a) he and  (b) officials in his Department were first made aware of the case of the five men in North Wales whom the Immigration and Nationality Directorate office in Liverpool instructed to be released; and what actions he took in consequence;
	(2)  whether the five individuals apprehended by North Wales Police and then released on Immigration and Nationality Directorate instructions to attend the Liverpool offices reported to those offices or any other immigration facility.

Liam Byrne: holding answers 27 February 2007
	 I wrote to the chief constable of North Wales on 9 March about the incident and have asked the heads of Enforcement and Removals to meet with him to discuss arrangements between the Border and Immigration Agency and North Wales Police and discuss how the response to such events can be strengthened. This meeting is scheduled to take place later in the month.
	The recently published enforcement strategy Enforcing the Rules also announced an increase in resources to position enforcement officers in a number of police centres around the UK to help improve how these referrals are handled.

Immigration

Tony Baldry: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when a decision will be taken on the immigration status of Hussein Mohammed Abdillahi, reference A572376.

Liam Byrne: I wrote to the hon. Member on 3 April 2007.

Immigration

Nicholas Clegg: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when he plans to introduce each tier of the points-based system for managed migration.

John Reid: The points-based system will be introduced in line with the dates already announced in the IND review, i.e. April 2008 for highly skilled migrants (referred to as Tier 1) and April 2009 for other tiers applying to skilled workers, students, youth mobility and temporary workers.

Immigration

Tony Baldry: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when he expects to determine the application of Tahsin Taha Mohammad Ali (reference A1148096) for indefinite leave to remain in the UK.

Liam Byrne: The Immigration and Nationality Directorate wrote to my hon. Friend on 22 March 2007 explaining the details in this case.

Immigration and Nationality Directorate

David Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department 
	(1)  how many people applied for compensation from the immigration and nationality directorate in each of the last five years for which figures are available; and in how many cases compensation was paid consequently;
	(2)  how many applications from individuals for compensation from the immigration and nationality directorate are under consideration;
	(3)  how many compensation payments of  (a) less than 500,  (b) between 501 and 1,000,  (c) between 1,001 and 2,000 and  (d) more than 2,000 were paid by the immigration and nationality directorate in the most recent year for which figures are available.

Liam Byrne: I wrote to the hon. Member with the available information and with apologies for the delay in providing this on 20 March.

Immigration Cases

David Lidington: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether his Department has forwarded to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office the decisions of the Immigration Judge on 23 May and of the Tribunal on 18 August (reference OA/17132/2005) in the case of Mr. W. G. of Pakistan, husband of Mrs. A. M. of Aylesbury; and if he will make a statement.

Liam Byrne: I wrote to the hon. Member on 3 April 2007.

Immigration Controls

Damian Green: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many mobile telephone numbers of people given temporary leave to remain were held by his Department as of 28 February.

Liam Byrne: In order to make it easier for people who come here legally to comply with the rules, IND plans to increase the level of proactive contact with individuals with limited leave to come to Britain, for example by using proactive phone calls and text messaging to people whose visas are about to expire.
	We will be able to use both fixed and mobile phone numbers to send text messages to individuals and initial data retrieval indicates that we have around 200,000 telephone numbers for people given temporary leave to remain.
	In relation to failed asylum seekers, the New Asylum Model (NAM) involves an assigned IND caseworker having daily/weekly contact with asylum applicants either in person or over the telephone. This vigorous contact management approach will ensure that regular contact is maintained with the asylum applicant throughout the whole asylum process.

Immigration Controls

Damian Green: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many mobile telephone numbers of failed asylum seekers were held by his Department as of 28 February.

Liam Byrne: In relation to failed asylum seekers, the New Asylum Model (NAM) involves an assigned IND caseworker having daily/weekly contact with asylum applicants either in person or over the telephone. This vigorous contact management approach will ensure that regular contact is maintained with the asylum applicant throughout the whole asylum process.

Immigration Controls

Damian Green: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department which organisations he consulted before setting up the Employers' Task Force on the points based system of immigration control.

Liam Byrne: Prior to establishing the Employer Taskforce we consulted with the Confederation for British Industry, British Chamber of Commerce, Federation of Small Businesses, Recruitment and Employment Confederation, the DTI and the Treasury on the membership of the Taskforce. Based on their advice, membership has been drawn from a cross section of employers, both large and small, who employ migrant workers, have an interest in working in partnership with the Home Office to shape migration policy and who can represent the interests of all employers.
	Membership is regularly reviewed and supplemented with bilateral and other meetings with interested bodies.

Immigration Controls: Fishguard

Stephen Crabb: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department 
	(1)  on which occasions since 2005 officials from the Immigration and Nationality Directorate have carried out checks at the ports of  (a) Fishguard and  (b) Pembroke Dock.
	(2)  how many Immigration and Nationality Directorate personnel are located at the ports of  (a) Fishguard and  (b) Pembroke Dock.

Liam Byrne: holding answer s  5 March 2007
	This information cannot be disclosed as this could provide information of value to those seeking to circumvent immigration controls, thereby prejudicing the prevention and detection of immigration offences.

Immigration Controls: Irish Republic

Robert Walter: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department 
	(1)  on what date he was informed by the Irish Government of the suspension of the provisions of the Common Travel Area at Irish airports;
	(2)  what representations he has made to the Irish Government on  (a) the suspension of the provisions of the Common Travel Area at Irish airports and  (b) the systematic requests made by the Irish authorities of passengers arriving at Irish airports from the United Kingdom, the Isle of Man and the Channel Islands to produce passports;
	(3)  how many people entering the United Kingdom from the Irish Republic in 2006 by  (a) land,  (b) sea and  (c) air were asked to produce passports or other identity documents.

Liam Byrne: holding answers 21 March 2007
	As the Common Travel Area (CTA) is not the result of a treaty or law, it is subject to change (by either side) without negotiation. UK Home Office officials were made aware, in advance, of the introduction of ID checks at Irish airports from 28 June 1997.
	The police service, who carry out selective enforcement and security operations on people entering the United Kingdom from the Irish Republic, retain no central records of the volume of passengers asked to show travel documents.
	UK and Irish officials regularly meet to discuss practical arrangements within the Common Travel Area and any proposed changes to these arrangements by either side.

Immigration: Detention Centres

Mark Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the reasons are for differences in the average cost of detaining individuals for one week in different immigration and removal centres.

Liam Byrne: holding answer 13 March 2007
	The difference in the average cost of detaining an individual in different immigration removal centres reflects the differences between the centres, and the market-place at the time of tender. The key differences between the centres are the design, age and location of the buildings and the specific services and facilities that the centres provide.

Immigration: India

Andrew Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many Indian nationals have been detained at Oakington removal centre in the last 12 months; what the longest period of detention is of one of those nationals; how many Indian nationals have been detained for longer than  (a) six months and  (b) three months; and if he will make a statement.

Liam Byrne: The accompanying table shows the number of Indian nationals detained in Oakington Reception Centre solely under Immigration Act powers as at the last Saturday of the first three quarters of 2006, broken down by length of detention. Information relating to persons detained as at 30 December 2006 broken down by length of detention is not available due to a change in the system in which detention information is collected.
	Information on the number of persons recorded as leaving Oakington Reception Centre solely under Immigration Act powers, which would provide details on the longest period of detention, is not available. Oakington data are centrally recorded only on one day per week. This enables snapshots of statistics for Oakington to be published but is not sufficient for published statistics relating to persons leaving detention solely under Immigration Act powers.
	Information on the number of persons detained solely under Immigration Act powers is published in the Quarterly Asylum Bulletins, on the Home Office's Research, Development and Statistics website at:
	http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/rds/immigration1.html
	
		
			  Indian nationals recorded as being detained in Oakington Reception Centre solely under Immigration Act powers, by length of detention( 1) 
			  Number of persons 
			   Detained as at: 
			  Length of detention( 2, 3)  25 March 2006  24 June 2006  30 September 2006  30 December 2006 
			 7 days or less  10 5 n/a 
			 8 to 14 days 5 5 10 n/a 
			 15 to 29 days 5 50 10 n/a 
			 1 month to less than 2 months  5 * n/a 
			 2 months to less than 3 months   5 n/a 
			 3 months to less than 4 months  * * n/a 
			 4 months to less than 6 months  5 15 n/a 
			 6 months to less than 1 year  * * n/a 
			 1 year or moren/a 
			 Total 10 80 45 30 
			 (1) Figures rounded to the nearest 5, with * = 1 or 2, may not sum due to immigration powers. (2) Relates to current period of detention only. (3) 2months is defined as 61 days; 4 months is defined as 122 days; 6 months is defined as 182 days.  Note: n/a = Figures not available.

Immigration: Manpower

Damian Green: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many full-time equivalent staff are employed by his Department and its agencies as immigration officers at  (a) Bristol International airport,  (b) Shoreham (Brighton city airport),  (c) Leeds Bradford airport,  (d) Bournemouth airport,  (e) Blackpool airport,  (f) Birmingham International airport,  (g) Aberdeen airport,  (h) Belfast George Best city airport and  (i) Belfast International airport.

Liam Byrne: This information cannot be disclosed as this could provide information of value to those seeking to circumvent immigration controls, thereby prejudicing the prevention and detection of immigration offences.

Lancashire Police: Special Constables

Nigel Evans: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many special constables were recruited by the Lancashire police force in each of the last five years.

Tony McNulty: The available data are given in the table.
	
		
			  Special constables (headcount) recruited( 1)  by police force from 2002-03 to 2005-06( 2) 
			  Lancashire  Number of special constables 
			 2002-03 74 
			 2003-04 70 
			 2004-05 63 
			 2005-06 92 
			 (1) Recruits include those specials joining as direct recruits to the constabulary, and exclude transfers and rejoiners. (2) Financial year runs 1 April to 31 March inclusive. Data are not available prior to 2002-03.

Leyhill Prison

Mark Harper: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what steps he has taken to apprehend escaped prisoners from Leyhill open prison; how many prisoners are still at large; and what offences they are guilty of.

Gerry Sutcliffe: When a prisoner absconds from an open prison, the police are informed immediately. Their apprehension is then a police matter. The following table sets out the number of prisoners who are still unlawfully at large after absconding, during the last five financial years. Offence details could be provided at disproportionate cost only.
	
		
			  Nu mber of prisoners unlawfully at large after absconding, 2002-2007 
			   Number of prisoners UAL( 1) 
			 2002-03 2 
			 2003-04 2 
			 2004-05 5 
			 2005-06 6 
			 2006-07 5 
			 (1) Data accurate as of 2 April 2007

Members: Correspondence

Clare Short: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when he will reply to the letter dated 7 February from the right hon. Member for Birmingham, Ladywood on the briefing on the arrests made in Birmingham of nine young men for terrorist offences.

Tony McNulty: I refer my right hon. Friend, the Member for Birmingham, Ladywood, to my right hon. Friend, the Home Secretary's letter of 19 March 2007.

Migrant Workers

Cheryl Gillan: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many self-employed migrant workers there are in  (a) Wales,  (b) England,  (c) Scotland and  (d) Northern Ireland.

Liam Byrne: holding answer 12 March 2007
	 This information is not available.

Miscarriages of Justice: Compensation

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department for what reasons, and on what legal basis, the revised fee structure for the Independent Assessor of compensation for miscarriages of justice was implemented on 26 July 2006; and who  (a) designed and  (b) authorised the revised fee structure.

Gerry Sutcliffe: The legal basis for the payment of fees to the Assessor is set out in Schedule 12 and section 133 of the Criminal Justice Act 1988.
	The fee structure implemented on 26 July 2006 took account of the increase in the complexity of cases and the requirement, following the Court of Appeal judgment in Mickey and O'Brien, for the Assessor to provide a more detailed breakdown of the elements of his assessment. The new fee structure was proposed by officials following discussion with the Assessor. It was authorised by the Home Secretary on 5 July 2006.
	Due to an oversight, formal Treasury approval for the revised fee structure was not given until 15 February 2007. This oversight, which is regretted, has been brought to the attention of the Home Office accounting officer

Money Laundering

Jeremy Browne: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will undertake a review of the capability of the Suspicious Activity Report regime; and if he will make a statement.

Vernon Coaker: At the request of the Government, Sir Stephen Lander, Chairman of the Serious Organised Crime Agency (SOCA), carried out a comprehensive review of the Suspicious Activity Report regime in 2005-06. The report, which was completed after extensive consultation with public and private sector stakeholders, was published in April 2006. A copy is available on SOCA's website. The report made 24 recommendations.
	21 of the recommendations have been delivered and the remainder are on track to be implemented. An annual report on the regime's functioning, covering October 2006 to October 2007, will be published in the autumn.

Motoring Offences

Brian Jenkins: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many  (a) males and  (b) females were convicted of motoring offences in (i) Tamworth, (ii) Staffordshire and (iii) England and Wales in the most recent year for which information is available, broken down by offence.

Tony McNulty: Data from the court proceedings database held by the Office for Criminal Justice Reform on the number of males and females found guilty at all courts for motoring offences in Staffordshire police force area and England and Wales in 2005 can be found in the following table. It is not possible to identify those found guilty in Tamworth, as the data are not collected at this level of detail
	Court proceedings data for 2006 will be available in the autumn of 2007.
	
		
			  Number of offenders found guilty at all courts of motoring offences by gender and offence class in Staffordshire police force area, and England and Wales, 2005( 1, 2) 
			   Staffordshire  England and Wales 
			  Offence class  Male  Female  Male  Female 
			 Dangerous driving 68 2 4,522 173 
			 Driving etc. after consuming alcohol or taking drugs 1,306 205 74,282 10,258 
			 Careless driving 556 124 17,308 3,133 
			 Accident offences 158 21 4,991 859 
			 Driving Licence related offences 1,008 78 48,495 3,866 
			 Vehicle Insurance Offences 3,779 475 179,492 20,423 
			 Vehicle Registration and Excise Licence offences 31 14 10,219 2,589 
			 Work record or employment offences 4 0 1,976 23 
			 Operator's Licence offences 3 0 477 17 
			 Vehicle Test offences 126 12 11,300 1,175 
			 Fraud, forgery, etc. associated with vehicle or driver records 19 0 1,746 174 
			 Vehicle, or part, in dangerous or defective condition 82 9 6,512 534 
			 Speed limit offences 3,344 916 124,952 28,814 
			 Motorway offence (other than speeding) 29 2 1,596 228 
			 Neglect of traffic directions 57 13 16,998 3,576 
			 Neglect of pedestrian rights 16 3 1,700 299 
			 Obstruction, waiting and parking offences 26 3 5,655 1,852 
			 Lighting offences 42 4 2,162 187 
			 Noise offences 2 1 365 13 
			 Load offences 138 1 3,629 94 
			 Offences peculiar to motor cycles 4 0 204 15 
			 Miscellaneous offences (including trailer offences) 2,206 454 56,892 13,425 
			 Total 13,004 2,337 575,473 91,727 
			 (1) These data are on the principal offence basis. (2) Every effort is made to ensure that the figures presented are accurate and complete. However, it is important to note that these data have been extracted from large administrative data systems generated by the courts and police forces. As a consequence, care should be taken to ensure data collection processes and their inevitable limitations are taken into account when those data are used.  Source: RDS Office for Criminal Justice Reform.

National Crime Intelligence Service: National Crime Squad

Jeremy Browne: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how much and what percentage of their budget each police force in England and Wales contributed to  (a) the National Criminal Intelligence Service and  (b) the National Crime Squad in each year since 1998.

Tony McNulty: The National Criminal Intelligence Service (NCIS) and the National Crime Squad (NCS) were funded by a levy on police forces until 1 April 2002. On average, forces contributed about 1.75 per cent. of their budgets to fund the two bodies.
	From 1 April 2002, NCS and NCIS were financed primarily by grant in aid from the Home Office, and individual forces no longer contributed.

Naturalisation Test

Nicholas Clegg: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what estimate he has made of the percentage of British citizens who could pass the Life in the UK naturalisation test.

John Reid: No such estimate has been made.

Naturalisation Test

Nicholas Clegg: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what consultations were carried out on the  (a) content and  (b) method of the Life in the UK naturalisation test.

John Reid: The questions for the Life in the UK test are based on Life in the United Kingdom: A Journey to Citizenship, the second edition of which has just been published. Advice on the content of the test was taken from the Advisory Board on Naturalisation and Integration (ABNI), the members of which were selected on the basis of open competition. ABNI, together with educational experts and information technology experts, were also consulted about the testing method.

Naturalisation Test

Nicholas Clegg: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will list the subject matters which are included within the Life in the UK naturalisation test.

John Reid: As from 2 April the Life in the UK Test will be based on chapters two to six of the publication Life in the United Kingdom; A Journey to Citizenship (second edition).
	For a period of three months after 2 April facilities will be made available for people who studied the first edition of Life in the United Kingdom to take a Life in the UK Test based on that edition.

Naturalisation Test

Nicholas Clegg: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether the questions for the Life in the UK naturalisation test were tested on British citizens.

John Reid: The Life in the UK Test was piloted in June 2005 at eight test centres. Candidates included long-term and more recent migrants as well as some British citizens. 25 per cent. of the total number of participants were British citizens.

Oakhill Secure Training Centre

Mark Lancaster: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department pursuant to the answer of 19 February 2007,  Official Report, column 120W, on Oakhill Secure Training Centre, how many members of staff have resigned since January 2005.

Gerry Sutcliffe: holding answer 23 February 2007
	Between 1 January 2005 and 31 January 2007, 224 members of staff resigned. These figures have been supplied by the Youth Justice Board and relate to employees of the contractor, G4S Justice Services. They do not include those employed by sub-contractors, for example providing health care or education services.
	G4S recognises that this is a high number of resignations. It is in part attributable to the particular employment conditions in Milton Keynes, where Oakhill is located. The Youth Justice Board and G4S are working on an action plan to address performance issues identified by the Commission for Social Care Inspection. This should help promote stability and reduce the number of staff leaving the centre.

Offenders: Deportation

Robert Wilson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many foreign national prisoners were served with formal notice warning of liability to deportation (IM3 form) in each year since 2001; how many of these prisoners were released into the care of his Department at the end of remand or sentence; and how many were released into the community.

Liam Byrne: The requested information is not available and could be obtained only by the detailed examination of individual case records at disproportionate cost.
	On 19 February the director general of the immigration and nationality directorate wrote to the Home Affairs Committee to provide the most recent information available on the deportation of foreign national prisoners. A copy of this letter is available from the Library of the House.

Offenders: Rehabilitation

Anne Snelgrove: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what estimate he has made of the weekly cost of  (a) a violence reduction programme and  (b) a prison place.

Gerry Sutcliffe: The Probation Service run a range of offender behaviour programmes, including several which focus on violence. Unit costs for individual programmes are currently being developed by the Probation Service and will be available in the autumn of this year.
	The average weekly cost per prison place in 2005-06 was 556.

Offenders: Republic of Ireland

Stephen Pound: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many Irish nationals have been transferred at the completion of a custodial sentence from a prison to an immigration removal facility in the last 10 months.

Liam Byrne: Accurate and robust information for the period requested is not available.
	In my written ministerial statement of 19 February 2007,  Official Report, column 4WS, I explained that those Irish national prisoners whose deportation cases were not considered exceptional and whose sentences had expired would be released from custody.
	This has now been activated.

Offensive Weapons

Jeremy Browne: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department 
	(1)  how many and what percentage of people convicted of having an article with a blade or point under section 139 of the Criminal Justice Act 1988 had a previous conviction at the time of their sentence, broken down by  (a) offence and  (b) age group;
	(2)  how many and what percentage of people convicted of encouraging violent behaviour involving the use of a knife under the Knives Act 1997 had a previous conviction at the time of their sentence, broken down by  (a) offence and  (b) age group;
	(3)  how many people and what percentage of people convicted of carrying an offensive weapon under section 1 of the Prevention of Crime Act 1953 had a previous conviction at the time of their sentence in each of the last 30 years, broken down by  (a) offence and  (b) age group.

Gerry Sutcliffe: Information on previous convictions is not available at the level of individual offences. Figures on criminal histories broken down by types of offence can be found on the Home Office's website in Table 6.3 of Sentencing Statistics 2005:
	http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/rds/pdfs07/hosb0307.pdf

Offensive Weapons

Jeremy Browne: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department in how many incidents of recorded violent crime a samurai sword was used as an offensive weapon in each year since 1997.

Vernon Coaker: From the information collected on recorded crime, it is not possible to identify those offences which are sword/knife related. Such offences are not specifically defined by statute and details of the individual circumstances of offences do not feature in the recorded crime statistics.
	Figures are collected for homicides involving the use of sharp instruments but they do not separate identify knife-related offences. The Home Office is working closely with ACPO to develop a knife-enabled crime action plan and is seeking to collate the numbers of knife-related offences for grievous bodily harm through the Annual Data Requirement in 2007-08.

Passports

Mark Francois: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department pursuant to the answer to the hon. Member for Sheffield, Hallam, of 21 March 2007,  Official Report, column 972W, on passports, what the error rate was on checks provided by the Passport Validation Service in each of the last five years for which figures are available.

Joan Ryan: The Passport Validation Service provides confirmation that information on a passport presented to a user organisation corresponds with the information held on central passport records for the purpose of combating fraud and identity theft.
	This has been provided since 2002 via a computer interface. A call centre service also commenced operation on 1 August 2006.
	On the basis of PVS records we are satisfied that no check has resulted in any erroneous confirmation being provided to a user organisation.

Passports: Applications

Mark Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department pursuant to section 6(7) of the Identity Cards Act 2006, whether applicants for passport renewal who apply solely for a passport prior to 1 January 2010 will have their details entered on the National Identity Register.

Joan Ryan: Once passports are designated under section 4 of the Identity Cards Act 2006, anyone applying for the first time or for renewal of a passport will have their identity details entered on the National Identity Register which, apart from the recording of biometrics, will hold exactly the same sort of identity information that is already required for the issue of passports and other official documents. Prior to 1 January 2010 section 6(7) of the Identity Cards Act makes it possible for anyone, who wishes to do so, to opt out of being issued with an identity card, but after that date anyone applying for a passport would be issued with an identity card together with a passport. This principle was accepted by Parliament when the Identity Cards Act was passed in 2006.

Passports: Interviews

Jeremy Browne: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department pursuant to the answer of 22 March 2007,  Official Report, column 302W, on passports: interviews, on which days of the week each office will be open; and for how many hours each office will be open on each day.

Joan Ryan: The days per week each interview office referred to will open are:
	 (a) Barnstable(1) - Wednesday and Saturday
	 (b) Bristol - Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday
	 (c) Exeter - Tuesday, Friday and Saturday
	 (d) Yeovil - Wednesday, Thursday and Saturday
	All the offices will be open 8.00am to 6.00pm each day they are open.
	(1) IPS originally proposed to locate this office in Barnstable but we have not been able to secure suitable premises and are now extending our search to neighbouring towns.

Passports: Interviews

Jeremy Browne: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department pursuant to the answer of 22 March 2007,  Official Report, column 301W, on passport interviews, if he will assess the merits of hosting remote access facilities for passport interview centres in Taunton.

Joan Ryan: Remote passport interview facilities will be located in sparsely populated parts of the UK, as defined by the Office of National Statistics (ONS). Somerset is not defined as a sparsely populated area in this context.

Police

Matthew Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what proportion of gross revenue expenditure by  (a) Devon and Cornwall Police Authority and  (b) all police authorities was financed by (i) central Government provision and (ii) revenue from council tax in each year since 1992.

Tony McNulty: The information requested where available is set out in a table which has been placed in the Library.
	Revenue funding includes all grants inside aggregate external finance (AEF) (i.e. revenue grants paid for councils' core services), and includes formula grant and all specific grants.
	The figures exclude grants inside AEF such as housing benefit subsidy, capital grants, funding for local authorities' housing management responsibilities and those grant programmes (such as European funding) where authorities are simply one of the recipients of funding paid towards an area.

Police

Tom Watson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many people are employed within the  (a) Policing Policy and Operations Directorate,  (b) Police Leadership and Powers Unit and  (c) Police Human Resources Unit; and what the cost of their salaries is in each case in 2006-07.

Tony McNulty: holding answer  23 March 2007
	As at the end of March 2007, the Policing Policy and Operations Directorate  (a) employed 204 full-time equivalents. Of this number, 47 were employed within the Police Leadership and Powers Unit  (b) and 46 within the Police Human Resources Unit  (c). The cost of the salaries for 2006-07 was  (a) 10.9 million;  (b) 2.7 million; and  (c) 2.7 million.

Police Custody: Wales

Jennifer Willott: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many and what proportion of spaces available in Wales under Operation Safeguard were used in each week since the operation came into force; and if he will make a statement.

Gerry Sutcliffe: holding answer 19 March 2007
	The usage of Operation Safeguard by individual police forces is held for use as management information only.

Police Patrols

Jeremy Browne: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department further to his answer of 6 March 2007,  Official Report, column 1930W, if he will provide the figures by each police force.

Tony McNulty: holding answer 28 March 2007
	 The following table sets out by force the proportion of police officer time spent on front-line duties. The information asked for on the time spent in each force on patrol and paperwork is not available as these data are collected by forces for internal management purposes only.
	
		
			  Time spent on Front-line duties 
			  Percentage 
			  Front-line policing  Position in 2005-06  Target for 2007-08 
			 Avon and Somerset 60.90 63.30 
			 Bedfordshire 62.10 68.50 
			 Cambridgeshire 70.70 69.30 
			 Cheshire 63.40 71.40 
			 City of London 69.10 70.60 
			 Cleveland 55.20 69.90 
			 Cumbria 59.30 66.90 
			 Derbyshire 70.30 70.80 
			 Devon and Cornwall 63.10 66.50 
			 Dorset 68.70 72.00 
			 Durham 59.50 67.60 
			 Dyfed-Powys 63.30 68.70 
			 Essex 62.70 70.30 
			 Gloucestershire 66.50 72.70 
			 Greater Manchester 61.20 72.10 
			 Gwent 60.00 65.60 
			 Hampshire 67.30 167.00 
			 Hertfordshire 64.20 73.00 
			 Humberside 56.60 68.30 
			 Kent 67.50 71.10 
			 Lancashire 62.50 68.10 
			 Leicestershire 67.80 70.40 
			 Lincolnshire 66.50 72.30 
			 Merseyside 61.40 72.60 
			 Metropolitan police 61.30 65.80 
			 Norfolk 66.70 70.30 
			 North Wales 63.50 66.60 
			 North Yorkshire 64.40 75.60 
			 Northamptonshire 65.50 68.80 
			 Northumbria 62.50 71.40 
			 Nottinghamshire 59.50 73.00 
			 South Wales 61.00 73.40 
			 South Yorkshire 65.90 70.20 
			 Staffordshire 66.60 68.70 
			 Suffolk 59.50 68.50 
			 Surrey 63.10 69.40 
			 Sussex 61.30 68.50 
			 Thames Valley 66.10 68.70 
			 Warwickshire 66.20 168.80 
			 West Mercia 64.60 71.80 
			 West Midlands 61.80 73.10 
			 West Yorkshire 70.60 66.70 
			 Wiltshire 63.10 68.90 
			 England and Wales 63.10 70.80

Police: Advisory Groups

Harry Cohen: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the role is of independent advisory groups for police constabularies and authorities; how they are appointed; who the members are of each such group; what qualifications are recognised for this role; for how long members serve; what remuneration members receive; to whom such groups report; and if he will make a statement.

Tony McNulty: Independent advisory groups have been set up by a number of police forces at the discretion of the chief constable and the role, composition and means of appointment are a matter for them.

Police: Bolton

David Crausby: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department 
	(1)  how many police officers were stationed in Bolton in each year since 1997;
	(2)  how many community support officers were provided in Bolton in each year since 1997.

Tony McNulty: Information on the number of police officers in basic command units is collected annually and has only been available since March 2002. For Police Community Support Officers BCU numbers has only been collected since June 2005. The data for the Bolton Metropolitan Borough Division is set out in the following table. The deployment of police officers and police community support officers to basic command units and to other specialist operational units is a matter for the Chief Constable.
	
		
			  Bolton Metropolitan Borough Division 
			   Number of Police Officers( 1)  Number of Police Community Support Officers( 2) 
			 2002 517  
			 2003 526  
			 2004 551  
			 2005 549 26 
			 2006 539 20 
			 (1) As at 31 March. (2) As at 30 June.

Police: Business

Tom Watson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what steps his Department is taking to encourage police authorities to improve links with local people and businesses.

Tony McNulty: holding answer 13 March 2007
	Section 96 of the Police Act 1996 places a duty on police authorities to make arrangements for obtaining the views of people in the force area about matters concerning the policing of the area. It is for the police authority to determine the means of doing so after consulting the chief constable.
	The standard membership of a police authority is 17 of which five are independent members who are local people who represent a wide range of interests in the police area and with relevant skills.
	The Department is working with the Association of Chief Police Officers to ensure effective engagement on crime against businesses.

Police: Cadets

Tom Watson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what steps he has taken to encourage young people to join the Police Cadets.

Tony McNulty: holding answer 20 March 2007
	Cadet schemes are run locally by a number of forces. Forces undertake their own initiatives to attract young people from their local communities. Cadet programmes are intended to give young people an idea of what it is like to be a police officer and to help forge links within local communities. Cadet activities include:
	Crime prevention
	First aid
	Self-defence
	Sport and fitness
	Police procedures and law.
	Cadets also take part in local crime prevention initiatives and stewarding at events.

Police: Community Support Officers

Tom Watson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many police community support officers were employed as of 31 December 2006, broken down by police authority area.

Tony McNulty: holding answer 26 March 2007
	The most recently available data are published in the Home Office Statistical Bulletin, Police Strength in England and Wales, 30(th) September 2006 (04/07), and are given in the following table.
	The bulletin is available in the Library of the House and can be downloaded from:
	http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/rds/pdfs07/hosb0407.pdf
	Table three in the bulletin contains the police community support officer numbers in England and Wales as at 30 September 2006.
	
		
			  Police Community Support Officer strength by English Government office regions and Wales (FTE)( 1) 
			   Number 
			  North East 365 
			 Cleveland 111 
			 Durham 90 
			 Northumbria 164 
			   
			  North West 863 
			 Cheshire 77 
			 Cumbria 27 
			 Greater Manchester 321 
			 Lancashire 224 
			 Merseyside 214 
			   
			  Yorkshire and the Humber 828 
			 Humberside 112 
			 North Yorkshire 85 
			 South Yorkshire 126 
			 West Yorkshire 505 
			   
			  East Midlands 563 
			 Derbyshire 56 
			 Leicestershire 155 
			 Lincolnshire 134 
			 Northamptonshire 62 
			 Nottinghamshire 155 
			   
			  West Midlands 681 
			 Staffordshire 103 
			 Warwickshire 61 
			 West Mercia 170 
			 West Midlands 348 
			   
			  Eastern 781 
			 Bedfordshire 47 
			 Cambridgeshire 125 
			 Essex 296 
			 Hertfordshire 165 
			 Norfolk 102 
			 Suffolk 46 
			   
			  London 2,689 
			 London, City of 8 
			 Metropolitan Police 2,681 
			   
			  South East 772 
			 Hampshire 103 
			 Kent 100 
			 Surrey 161 
			 Sussex 274 
			 Thames Valley 134 
			   
			  South West 591 
			 Avon and Somerset 182 
			 Devon and Cornwall 158 
			 Dorset 72 
			 Gloucestershire 94 
			 Wiltshire 85 
			   
			  Wales 384 
			 Dyfed-Powys 30 
			 Gwent 97 
			 North Wales 76 
			 South Wales 181 
			 Total of all 43 forces 8,517 
			 (1 )This table contains full-time equivalent figures that have been rounded to the nearest whole number. Because of rounding. there may be an apparent discrepancy between totals and the sums of the constituent items.

Police: Databases

Nick Herbert: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department 
	(1)  what the current timetable is for implementation of the Police National Database;
	(2)  what the timetable is for the implementation of the IMPACT Cross Regional Information Sharing Project programme;
	(3)  what the cost of the IMPACT programme has been; and what he expects its projected final cost to be.

Tony McNulty: holding answers 13 March 2007
	As my hon. Friend, the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for the Home Department, the hon. Member for Enfield, North (Joan Ryan) said during the Adjournment debate called by the hon. Member for Barnsley, Central (Mr. Illsley) on 28 February 2007,  Official Report , column 307WH, we are currently evaluating options for delivering maximum value to the police service through the IMPACT programme while capitalising as much as possible on the investment already made by the Home Office and police forces. We expect to be making an announcement on the results of that evaluation shortly and this will include a timetable for implementing future IMPACT solutions.
	As at the end of January, the Home Office had invested 64.9 million in the IMPACT programme. This includes the successful delivery of the IMPACT Nominal Index; the delivery of a programme to improve information management in police forces and the allocation of substantial grant funding to forces to enable them to prepare their data for sharing. The projected final costs of the programme will be reassessed once a decision has been made on the options evaluation. We will be able to say more on this in the 4th Report on Progress on the Bichard Inquiry Recommendations, which we plan to publish in the spring.

Police: Equal Opportunities

Tom Watson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what targets are set for police authorities on the recruitment of police officers on the basis of  (a) gender and  (b) ethnicity.

Tony McNulty: holding answer 8 March 2007
	In 1999, the Home Secretary published race equality employment targets for the police service to be achieved by 2009. An annual report is published showing the progress that the service has made against those targets.
	While there are no comparable targets for gender, the Police Performance Assessment Framework (PPAF) includes performance indicators on female officer representation.
	The Home Office is committed to providing equality of opportunity for police officers and staff regardless of gender. The Home Office encourages forces to adopt positive action initiatives to promote the recruitment of women officers. The Police Minister chairs the Women in Policing Steering Group. The group has sponsored guidance on flexible working, and gender equality schemes in forces. It has recently commissioned work on whether further targets should be set for the recruitment, retention and progression of female police officers.

Police: Forms

John Spellar: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what estimate he has made of the number of forms used by the police.

Tony McNulty: My right hon. Friend the Home Secretary has consistently made clear his commitment to reducing police bureaucracy, placing this important work at the heart of his vision for policing through:
	A review of the Police and Criminal Evidence Act which was announced July last year, to examine potential areas for reducing bureaucracy on the Police Service.
	A Statement of Common Values on the Police Service made on six March, which included a commitment to reduce bureaucracy and make policing more public-facing.
	A Review of Policing announced on 27 March, which includes Sir Ronnie Flanagan leading work on how to deliver a step-change in bureaucracy, reporting in August.
	A key feature of these plans is the commitment to ensuring that administrative demands do not distort or hinder front-line policing priorities. However, the information required of each police force to make an assessment of the number of forms they use is not held centrally.

Police: Retirement

Nicholas Clegg: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department pursuant to the answer of 15 March 2007,  Official Report, column 550W, on police: retirement, what categories of data will be provided by forces.

John Reid: Data will be collected in respect of exit interviews as part of the annual data requirement in categories for rank, gender, length of service, ethnicity, and reason for leaving. In terms of the reason for leaving these are categorised as domestic reasons, work commitments, the individual's role, pay and conditions, training/career, management issues, organisational culture, colleagues, fairness at work, discrimination, taking another job, and on promotion.

Ports

Nicholas Clegg: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many ports of entry there are in the United Kingdom.

John Reid: For the purposes of the Immigration Act 1971 there are 57 ports of entry in the United Kingdom.

Prison Places

Chris Mullin: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department 
	(1)  how many additional prison places were provided in each year since 1997; and how many more are planned;
	(2)  what the average cost was of each new prison place built in each year since 1997.

Gerry Sutcliffe: The following table shows how many new prison places have been created in the years in question and the average capital building cost per new place. 8,000 new prison places were announced in the Criminal Justice System Review in July 2006. These will be provided using a combination of new prisons and expansion at existing sites.
	
		
			  000 
			  Financial year  Number of new prison places( 1)  Average capital building cost per new place( 2) 
			 1997-98 4,716 60 
			 1998-99 1,222 67 
			 1999-2000 1,646 65 
			 2000-01 640 61 
			 2001-02 920 79 
			 2002-03 1780 57 
			 2003-04 1376 77 
			 2004-05 2570 100 
			 2005-06 940 119 
			 (1) The number of new places includes a mixture of places at new prisons as well as places provided by expansions at existing prisons. It does not take into account any places provided through prisoners sharing cells; nor does it take into account any places that have been taken out of use. (2) The costs shown cover the capital building costs of each new place only. No adjustment has been made for inflation.

Prison Places

Chris Mullin: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department in which prisons an increase in capacity is planned; what the current capacity is of each; what increase is planned; and by what date he expects the new accommodation to be available.

Gerry Sutcliffe: The building programme to provide new prison places by 2012, both in new prisons and at existing sites, is still under development. Decisions on the location of the places will be determined by greatest need; and where possible, they will be provided in areas of highest demand. Specific sites are subject to detailed internal planning, acquisition and planning consent.

Prison Sentences

Nicholas Clegg: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department pursuant to the answer to the right hon. Member for Birkenhead of 20 February 2007,  Official Report, column 643W, on prison sentences, whether there is a difference in average length of sentences for British and foreign offenders who committed the same offence; and if he will provide average sentence lengths for  (a) foreign and  (b) British offenders in each category of offence.

John Reid: Information on the average sentence length by offence for foreign national and British offenders held in custody in all prison establishments in England and Wales can be found in the following table.
	These figures have been drawn from administrative IT systems, which, as with any large scale recording system, are subject to possible errors with data entry and processing.
	
		
			  Mean sentences for prisoners in England and Wales 2004-05 to 2006-07 by British and foreign nationals 
			  Months 
			   British nationals  Foreign nationals  Nationality not recorded  Totals for year 
			   2004-05  2005-06  2006-07  2004-05  2005-06  2006-07  2004-05  2005-06  2006-07  2004-05  2005-06  2006-07 
			 Violence against the person 16 14 14 21 19 17 13 9 18 16 15 14 
			 Sexual offences 45 46 47 49 46 44 35 44 41 46 46 46 
			 Robbery 34 31 31 31 28 31 27 40 29 34 31 31 
			 Burglary 20 19 19 20 19 16 20 26 31 20 19 19 
			 Theft and handling 7 7 7 8 7 7 6 8 5 7 7 7 
			 Fraud and forgery 15 15 16 10 12 12 8 9 10 13 13 14 
			 Drug offences 35 34 33 57 57 53 45 43 24 39 39 37 
			 Motoring offences 6 6 6 4 4 4 3 4 5 6 5 178 
			 Other offences 9 9 18 13 12 12 11 13 6 9 9 9 
			 Offence not recorded 13 12 12 16 13 16 11 1 1 13 12 12

Prison Sentences

Nicholas Clegg: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many prisoners are serving over tariff incarceration on the grounds of their refusal to confess their guilt.

John Reid: The information is not held centrally and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.
	Denial of guilt is not of itself a bar to release of prisoners from custody. There is no rule or policy that automatically prevents those who, for whatever reason, deny their guilt from progressing through the prison system provided their risk is assessed as having reduced to a level that is compatible with protecting the public from harm. The assessment of a prisoner's current level of risk is the pre-eminent factor in determining suitability for release.
	Release of tariff-expired indeterminate sentence prisoners is a matter for the independent Parole Board. The main criterion governing the Board's consideration is the level of risk of serious harm that the prisoner may pose to others. For that reason it is unlawful for the Board to refuse release simply on the ground that the prisoner continues to deny guilt.

Prisoners Transfers

Jeremy Browne: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many and what percentage of prisoners serving a sentence of  (a) zero to three months,  (b) six to 12 months,  (c) 12 to 18 months,  (d) 18 to 24 months and  (e) 24 months or more were transferred (i) once, (ii) twice, (iii) three times, (iv) four times, (v) five times, (vi) six times, (vii) seven times, (viii) eight times and (ix) more than eight times during their sentence in the last year for which figures are available.

Gerry Sutcliffe: holding answer 29 March 2007
	This information is not held centrally.

Prisoners Transfers

Damian Green: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many prisoners were transferred to another prison during their sentence in each of the last five years.

Gerry Sutcliffe: The table shows the number of prison to prison transfers of prisoners in England and Wales, recorded by the Inter Prison Transfer contractor, for each financial year from April 2002 until March 2007, the latest date for which figures are available.
	There are also a number of prisoner movements between prisons managed locally that are not reported centrally.
	
		
			  Financial year  Number of transfers 
			 2002 71,145 
			 2003 72,746 
			 2004 70,128 
			 2005 68,430 
			 2006 (to March) 71,809

Prisoners: Age

Chris Mullin: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many prisoners are aged  (a) 50 to 64 years and  (b) 65 years and over.

Gerry Sutcliffe: There were  (a) 5,507 prisoners aged 50 to 64 years and  (b) 1,036 prisoners aged 65 and over detained in prison establishments in England and Wales as at 31 January 2007.
	These figures have been drawn from administrative IT systems, which, as with any large scale recording system, are subject to possible errors with data entry and processing.

Prisoners: Foreigners

David Wilshire: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many  (a) convicted prisoners and  (b) offenders who had completed their sentence were kept in prison pending deportation, in each of the last five years, broken down by prison establishment; and what the cost of keeping such people in prison was in each facility.

Liam Byrne: The information requested for the time period concerned is not available.
	The Director General of the Immigration and Nationality Directorate wrote to the Home Affairs Committee on 19 February 2007 and provided the latest information held by the Department on deportation matters. A copy of this correspondence was placed in the Library of the House.

Prisoners: Foreigners

Anthony Steen: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many prisoners from  (a) EU countries and  (b) countries outside the EU are serving sentences in England and Wales; and what the number was in each of the last three years.

Gerry Sutcliffe: Information on the numbers of prisoners in prison establishments in England and Wales from European Union countries and countries outside the EU between June 2005 and February 2007 can be found in the following table.
	These figures have been drawn from administrative IT systems, which, as with any large scale recording system, are subject to possible errors with data entry and processing.
	
		
			  Prison population of all prison establishments in England and Wales showing numbers from EU and outside EU, 2005 to 2007 
			   30 June 2005  30 June 2006  28 February 2007 
			 Non-British EU Nationals 2,012 2,324 2,469 
			 Non-EU Foreign Nationals 7,639 8,554 8,774 
			 Not Recorded 869 944 879 
			 UK Nationals 65,670 66,160 67,459 
			 Total 76,190 77,982 79,581 
		
	
	The following is a link to show European Union membership.
	http://www.fco.gov.uk/servlet/Front?pagename=OpenMarket/Xcelerate/ShowPagec=Pagecid=1139991776535

Prisoners: Human Rights

Peter Bottomley: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department to what extent prisoners in  (a) state and  (b) privately-run prisons are protected by the provisions of the Human Rights Act 1998.

Gerry Sutcliffe: Within the member states of the Council of Europe, human rights standards in places of detention are monitored by the European Committee for the Prevention of Torture who have established a system of regular visits to places of detention.
	The Human Rights Act 1998 brought the European Convention of Human Rights into UK law. The Convention contains absolute, limited and qualified rights. Article 5 (the right to liberty) is limited under explicit circumstances, specifically where detention is authorised by law. Prisoners remain covered by the Act but some interference with qualified rights comes with detention, e.g. Article 8 (the right to respect for private family life, home and correspondence). Such interference is permissible if it can be shown to be necessary and proportionate.
	Responsibility for considering different aspects of equality and human rights in relation to prisoners is shared between staff responsible for setting policy and those responsible for managing and operating prisons. The issues are considered in all policy decisions and covered in mainstream training.
	If adhered to, the policies contained in Prison Service Orders and Standards which underpin Prison Rules, represent a good framework within which the prisons support the UK obligations under treaties such as the United Nations Convention against Torture and the European Convention on Human Rights.

Prisoners: Humberside

Philip Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how much his Department spent on reimbursing the relatives of prisoners in the Humber region for Humber Bridge tolls incurred whilst visiting prisoners in each of the last three years.

Gerry Sutcliffe: This information is not routinely collected and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Prisoners: Location

David Davis: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many prisoners were held in prisons over 50 miles from their homes in each of the last five years.

John Reid: The information requested is provided in the following table. Where no home address is listed for a prisoner, the committal court is used as a proxy address.
	
		
			   Snapshot of number  of  prisoners held over 50 miles from their homes (to nearest 100) 
			 2002 25,700 
			 2003 26,800 
			 2004 27,300 
			 2005 27,600 
			 2006 27,800

Prisoners: Per Capita Costs

Greg Knight: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the average cost was of keeping a prisoner in each  (a) prison establishment and  (b) young offender institution in the latest period for which figures are available; and if he will make a statement.

Gerry Sutcliffe: holding answer 29 March 2007
	The following table shows the 2005-06 cost per prisoner for each prison establishment, broken down by function. This includes all young offender institutes (YOI).
	
		
			  Cost per prisoner for each prison establishment 2005-06 
			  Function Group  Establishment name  Cost per prisoner  () 
			 Male Closed YOI Aylesbury 33,269 
			 Male Closed YOI Brinsford 37,327 
			 Male Closed YOI Castington 38,653 
			 Male Closed YOI Deerbolt 34,554 
			 Male Closed YOI Feltham 56,486 
			 Male Closed YOI Glen Parva 28,269 
			 Male Closed YOI Hindley 41,684 
			 Male Closed YOI Lancaster Farms 32,156 
			 Male Closed YOI Northallerton 31,927 
			 Male Closed YOI Portland 31,356 
			 Male Closed YOI Reading 32,479 
			 Male Closed YOI Rochester 24,885 
			 Male Closed YOI Stoke Heath 30,072 
			 Male Closed YOI Swinfen Hall 26,691 
			 Male Open YOI Thorn Cross 36,163 
			 Male Juvenile Huntercombe 44,226 
			 Male Juvenile Warren Hill 51,080 
			 Male Juvenile Wellington 52,185 
			 Male Juvenile Wetherby 39,366 
			 Male Category B Albany 23,326 
			 Male Category B Garth 25,781 
			 Male Category B Gartree 30,610 
			 Male Category B Grendon 29,253 
			 Male Category B High Down 23,295 
			 Male Category B Kingston 32,521 
			 Male Category B Parkhurst 30,781 
			 Male Category B Swaleside 20,629 
			 Male Category C Acklington 18,002 
			 Male Category C Ashwell 20,304 
			 Male Category C Blundeston 25,318 
			 Male Category C Buckley Hall(1) 38,008 
			 Male Category C Camp Hill 21,514 
			 Male Category C Canterbury 23,839 
			 Male Category C Channings Wood 21,581 
			 Male Category C Coldingley 24,100 
			 Male Category C Dartmoor 26,007 
			 Male Category C Edmunds Hill(1) 39,093 
			 Male Category C Erlestoke 21,872 
			 Male Category C Everthorpe 20,483 
			 Male Category C Featherstone 22,996 
			 Male Category C Guys Marsh 19,407 
			 Male Category C Haverigg 21,740 
			 Male Category C Highpoint 18,263 
			 Male Category C Lancaster 28,426 
			 Male Category C Lindholme 25,988 
			 Male Category C Littlehey 18,672 
			 Male Category C Maidstone 21,332 
			 Male Category C Moorland 21,703 
			 Male Category C Mount 21,497 
			 Male Category C Onley 30,187 
			 Male Category C Ranby 21,401 
			 Male Category C Risley 18,792 
			 Male Category C Shepton Mallet 30,686 
			 Male Category C Stafford 20,398 
			 Male Category C Stocken 20,485 
			 Male Category C Usk\Prescoed 21,470 
			 Male Category C Verne 18,508 
			 Male Category C Wayland 17,429 
			 Male Category C Wealstun 21,019 
			 Male Category C Weare(2) n/a 
			 Male Category C Wellingborough 24,583 
			 Male Category C Whatton 30,604 
			 Male Category C Wymott 21,476 
			 Male Dispersal Frankland 49,179 
			 Male Dispersal Full Sutton 46,901 
			 Male Dispersal Long Lartin 50,957 
			 Male Dispersal Wakefield 43,351 
			 Male Dispersal Whitemoor 66,224 
			 Female closed Bullwood Hall 53,548 
			 Female closed Cookham Wood 37,938 
			 Female closed Downview 37,349 
			 Female closed Foston Hall 37,602 
			 Female closed Send 32,273 
			 Female local Brockhill 49,832 
			 Female local Eastwood Park 37,915 
			 Female local Holloway 53,256 
			 Female local Low Newton 40,849 
			 Female local New Hall 46,470 
			 Female local Styal 36,460 
			 Female open Askham Grange 32,877 
			 Female open East Sutton Park 24,594 
			 Male Local Bedford 23,808 
			 Male Local Belmarsh 42,323 
			 Male Local Birmingham 21,592 
			 Male Local Blakenhurst 18,442 
			 Male Local Bristol 30,476 
			 Male Local Brixton 28,050 
			 Male Local Bullingdon 22,083 
			 Male Local Cardiff 23,546 
			 Male Local Chelmsford 27,659 
			 Male Local Dorchester 28,768 
			 Male Local Durham 28,504 
			 Male Local Elmley 18,230 
			 Male Local Exeter 25,621 
			 Male Local Gloucester 30,501 
			 Male Local Holme House 22,218 
			 Male Local Hull 21,872 
			 Male Local Leeds 21,982 
			 Male Local Leicester 31,509 
			 Male Local Lewes 22,349 
			 Male Local Lincoln 30,124 
			 Male Local Liverpool 22,119 
			 Male Local Manchester 26,885 
			 Male Local Norwich 21,791 
			 Male Local Nottingham 28,011 
			 Male Local Pentonville 22,778 
			 Male Local Preston 28,063 
			 Male Local Shrewsbury 28,998 
			 Male Local Swansea 25,990 
			 Male Local Wandsworth 21,711 
			 Male Local Winchester 24,657 
			 Male Local Woodhill 38,393 
			 Male Local Wormwood Scrubs 23,177 
			 Male Open Ford 14,905 
			 Male Open Hewell Grange 27,536 
			 Male Open Hollesley Bay 28,929 
			 Male Open Kirkham 29,248 
			 Male Open Leyhill 25,935 
			 Male Open North Sea Camp 21,289 
			 Male Open Standford Hill 20,858 
			 Male Open Sudbury 17,076 
			 Semi Open Blantyre House 24,105 
			 Semi Open Dover 32,438 
			 Semi Open Drake Hall 29,083 
			 Semi Open Haslar 35,712 
			 Semi Open Kirklevington 19,266 
			 Semi Open Latchmere House 16,515 
			 Semi Open Morton Hall 29,565 
			 Contracted prisons Altcourse 33,141 
			 Contracted prisons Ashfield 60,025 
			 Contracted prisons Bronzefield 47,774 
			 Contracted prisons Doncaster 18,999 
			 Contracted prisons Dovegate 28,684 
			 Contracted prisons Forest Bank 22,269 
			 Contracted prisons Lowdham Grange 25,576 
			 Contracted prisons Parc 33,742 
			 Contracted prisons Rye Hill 24,954 
			 Contracted prisons Wolds 23,258 
			 (1) Prisons re-roled from female to male during 2005-06 (2) HMP Weare closed in August 2005.

Prisoners: Taunton

Jeremy Browne: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many  (a) males and  (b) females whose home area was recorded as falling within Taunton constituency are (i) on remand and (ii) convicted prisoners being held in a prison (A) up to 50 miles, (B) between 50 and 100 miles and (C) over 100 miles from their home.

Gerry Sutcliffe: holding answer 29 March 2007
	The information requested is contained in the table. The data is for males and females whose home address area was recorded as within Taunton constituency, and is for January 2007.
	
		
			   Males  Females  
			   (i) Unconvicted  (ii) Convicted  (i) Unconvicted  (ii) Convicted  Total 
			 (A) Under 50 miles 9 59 0 0 68 
			 (B) Between 50 and 100 miles 2 21 0 2 25 
			 (C) Over 100 miles 1 18 0 3 22 
			 Total 12 98 0 5 115 
		
	
	These figures have been drawn from administrative IT systems which, as with any large scale recording system, are subject to possible errors arising from data entry and processing. For this reason the data may not be wholly accurate due to the relatively small numbers involved.

Prisons

Nicholas Clegg: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department pursuant to his answer of 22 February 2007,  Official Report, columns 891-2W to the hon. Member for Harborough (Mr. Garnier) on prisons, for what reasons the IT system could not provide the information, provided in the answer of 12 June 2006,  Official Report, column 1035W to the hon. Member for Monmouth (David T.C. Davies) on life sentences.

John Reid: Answering the question of 12 June 2006 involved significant manual checking of records and was integral to informing the need for a data quality review in the Department. Since then the data quality review has begun and, as part of that review we are developing a new database that will enable us, in time, to collect the data requested centrally. But, at this time to answer the question would involve a disproportionate cost.

Prisons: Construction

Mark Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the total  (a) capital and  (b) repayment value is of the new prisons to be constructed in (i) Maghull and (ii) Woolwich.

Gerry Sutcliffe: The Home Secretary recently announced that new prisons will be built at Maghull and Belmarsh through one or more PFI competitions.
	The capital value and repayment value of the new prisons will not be known until we have received and evaluated bids from potential suppliers and selected a preferred bidder.

Prisons: Drugs

Jeremy Browne: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many mandatory drugs tests were carried out in prisons in each of the last five years; and how many were  (a) positive and  (b) negative in each case, broken down by prison.

Gerry Sutcliffe: h olding answer 28 March 2007
	The following tables give details of the number of tests, the number of positives and negatives under the random mandatory drug testing programme for each prison over the last five years.
	
		
			  RMDT 
			   2002-03  2003-04  2004-05 
			  Prison  Tests  Positive  Negative  Tests  Positive  Negative  Tests  Positive  Negative 
			 Acklington 656 75 581 723 116 607 736 86 650 
			 Albany 268 0 268 313 6 307 316 6 310 
			 Altcourse 1,172 141 1,031 1,182 142 1,040 1,155 170 985 
			 Ashfield 330 38 292 297 24 273 339 25 314 
			 Ashwell 290 42 248 319 53 266 321 59 262 
			 Askham Grange 149 4 145 131 4 127 143 4 139 
			 Aylesbury 424 30 394 415 20 395 436 16 420 
			 Bedford 243 51 192 274 45 229 271 36 235 
			 Belmarsh 870 91 779 566 80 486 559 66 493 
			 Birmingham 201 31 170 488 108 380 800 169 631 
			 Blakenhurst 1,291 315 976 1,078 202 876 1,075 167 908 
			 Blantyre House 143 4 139 148 3 145 146 0 146 
			 Blundeston 451 23 428 413 12 401 328 51 277 
			 Brinsford 401 43 358 403 44 359 393 47 346 
			 Bristol 342 49 293 346 49 297 357 58 299 
			 Brixton 475 42 433 490 59 431 501 62 439 
			 Brockhill 201 17 184 147 28 119 167 39 128 
			 Bronzefield   283 48 235 
			 Buckley Hall 271 13 258 358 19 339 397 16 381 
			 Bullingdon 281 28 253 546 78 468 588 91 497 
			 Bullwood Hall 191 7 184 182 6 176 191 9 182 
			 Camp Hill 327 24 303 339 31 308 342 37 305 
			 Canterbury 362 41 321 359 33 326 370 32 338 
			 Cardiff 402 75 327 415 105 310 445 78 367 
			 Castington 415 29 386 338 36 302 433 55 378 
			 Channings Wood 367 16 351 327 11 316 370 15 355 
			 Chelmsford 363 83 280 338 87 251 342 37 305 
			 Coldingley 421 55 366 458 76 382 469 71 398 
			 Cookham Wood 155 8 147 158 4 154 177 8 169 
			 Dartmoor 363 41 322 368 50 318 377 38 339 
			 Deerbolt 281 26 255 279 15 264 358 9 249 
			 Doncaster 1,266 123 1,143 1,262 135 1,127 1,305 107 1,198 
			 Dorchester 239 47 192 293 57 236 292 67 225 
			 Dovegate 788 92 696 817 143 674 922 140 782 
			 Downview 248 10 238 174 20 154 274 23 251 
			 Drake Hall 319 26 293 350 11 339 343 7 336 
			 Durham 432 57 375 445 53 392 437 65 372 
			 East Sutton Park 112 0 112 120 1 119 121 3 118 
			 Eastwood Park 198 25 173 318 67 251 352 41 311 
			 Edmonds Hill261 57 204 184 26 158 
			 Elmley 513 51 462 630 74 556 606 79 527 
			 Erlestoke 324 34 290 337 46 291 256 40 216 
			 Everthorpe 453 30 423 528 33 495 554 30 524 
			 Exeter 299 33 266 312 47 265 326 30 296 
			 Featherstone 372 38 334 362 17 345 377 36 341 
			 Feltham 398 48 350 569 48 521 785 55 730 
			 Ford 424 48 376 286 67 219 317 43 274 
			 Forest Bank 1,263 188 1,075 1,298 278 1,020 1,225 257 968 
			 Foston Hall 257 2 255 253 6 247 242 6 236 
			 Frankland 498 29 469 622 39 583 665 45 610 
			 Full Sutton 726 23 703 726 24 702 722 37 685 
			 Garth 389 16 373 391 27 364 391 50 341 
			 Gartree 263 14 249 354 15 339 475 16 459 
			 Glen Parva 466 60 406 446 38 408 438 22 416 
			 Gloucester 273 41 232 373 49 324 385 64 321 
			 Grendon 133 5 128 138 8 130 140 3 137 
			 Guys Marsh 318 69 249 371 74 297 407 55 352 
			 Haverigg 314 98 216 315 76 239 380 81 299 
			 Hewell Grange 216 25 191 206 45 161 196 32 164 
			 High Down 415 78 337 442 62 380 439 83 356 
			 Highpoint 511 95 416 421 85 336 434 87 347 
			 Hindley 464 55 409 306 43 263 287 30 257 
			 Hollesley Bay 465 46 419 315 51 264 314 40 274 
			 Holloway 171 32 139 267 51 216 340 49 291 
			 Holme House 567 78 489 593 85 508 543 35 508 
			 Hull 447 35 412 606 47 559 609 80 529 
			 Huntercombe 396 54 342 374 56 318 421 36 385 
			 Kingston 226 17 209 201 27 174 165 22 143 
			 Kirkham 291 75 216 294 103 191 311 79 232 
			 Kirklevington 221 2 219 263 8 255 264 12 252 
			 Lancaster 296 78 218 291 13 278 262 14 248 
			 Lancaster Farms 571 41 530 468 29 439 294 15 279 
			 Latchmere House 229 4 225 239 12 227 241 6 235 
			 Leeds 817 231 586 848 259 589 823 159 664 
			 Leicester 417 53 364 433 44 389 429 56 373 
			 Lewes 303 43 260 297 56 241 305 35 270 
			 Leyhill 262 49 213 306 62 244 305 62 243 
			 Lincoln 446 31 415 543 40 503 393 43 350 
			 Lindholme 404 84 320 378 47 331 364 40 324 
			 Littlehey 358 16 342 379 22 357 353 14 339 
			 Liverpool 863 118 745 861 244 617 838 233 605 
			 Long Lartin 526 29 497 519 33 486 413 46 367 
			 Low Newton 339 54 285 329 30 299 338 23 315 
			 Lowdham Grange 315 13 302 309 15 294 311 26 285 
			 Maidstone 285 28 257 328 30 298 335 36 299 
			 Manchester 738 150 588 742 137 605 736 87 649 
			 Moorland 835 29 806 882 33 849 489 23 466 
			 Moorland Open 208 32 176 277 29 248 289 24 265 
			 Morton Hall 284 7 277 404 6 398 420 5 415 
			 Mount 480 55 425 479 82 397 466 83 383 
			 New Hall 423 41 382 425 25 400 426 35 391 
			 North Sea Camp 153 30 123 330 85 245 308 69 239 
			 Northallerton 247 15 232 237 7 230 247 12 235 
			 Norwich 360 62 298 434 56 378 469 77 392 
			 Nottingham 492 69 423 382 61 321 301 50 251 
			 Onley 291 31 260 333 22 311 308 48 260 
			 Parc 539 77 462 583 139 444 599 91 508 
			 Parkhurst 255 20 235 301 36 265 296 31 265 
			 Pentonville 685 136 549 745 107 638 749 110 639 
			 Peterborough Female  
			 Peterborough Male  
			 Portland 232 18 214 281 12 269 268 15 253 
			 Preston 255 49 206 398 71 327 383 95 288 
			 Ranby 885 89 796 500 64 436 521 46 475 
			 Reading 295 24 271 307 13 294 290 9 281 
			 Risley 859 217 642 639 166 473 638 114 524 
			 Rochester 186 18 168 237 22 215 414 17 397 
			 Rye Hill 393 18 375 396 29 367 386 54 332 
			 Send 254 9 245 247 12 235 233 8 225 
			 Shepton Mallet 168 20 148 225 6 219 227 5 222 
			 Shrewsbury 359 83 276 392 85 307 362 61 301 
			 Spring Hill 134 6 128 199 16 183 175 9 166 
			 Stafford 389 53 336 487 49 438 417 41 376 
			 Standford Hill 425 79 346 318 54 264 262 27 235 
			 Stocken 348 12 336 371 19 352 373 12 361 
			 Stoke Heath 362 8 354 376 3 373 397 11 386 
			 Styal 242 24 218 283 50 233 332 47 285 
			 Sudbury 317 48 269 324 46 278 330 42 288 
			 Swaleside 402 22 380 453 43 410 466 58 408 
			 Swansea 592 104 488 389 88 301 410 64 346 
			 Swinfen Hall 370 12 358 382 11 371 486 13 473 
			 Thorn Cross 254 36 218 264 49 215 327 54 273 
			 Usk/Prescoed 393 19 374 470 47 423 491 39 452 
			 Verne 366 20 346 350 28 322 352 53 299 
			 Wakefield 511 7 504 504 9 495 498 6 492 
			 Wandsworth 898 111 787 970 142 828 987 190 797 
			 Warren Hill229 9 220 251 9 242 
			 Wayland 394 24 370 406 17 389 420 17 403 
			 Wealstun 358 79 279 343 56 287 413 57 356 
			 Weare 364 22 342 386 46 340 412 47 365 
			 Wellingborough 450 39 411 458 36 422 460 59 401 
			 Werrington 131 6 125 150 6 144 158 16 142 
			 Wetherby 398 19 379 311 8 303 354 19 335 
			 Whatton 268 1 267 414 2 412 407 3 404 
			 Whitemoor 257 14 243 410 17 393 391 19 372 
			 Winchester 253 56 197 389 111 278 441 80 361 
			 Wolds 465 15 450 419 14 405 425 6 419 
			 Woodhill 117 10 107 453 35 418 449 53 396 
			 Wormwood Scrubs 632 102 530 709 166 543 774 165 609 
			 Wymott 335 28 307 518 36 482 635 67 568 
		
	
	
		
			   2005-06  2006-07( 1) 
			  Prison  Tests  Positive  Negative  Tests  Positive  Negative 
			 Acklington 598 71 527 429 33 396 
			 Albany 323 4 319 270 13 257 
			 Altcourse 1,136 118 1,018 981 112 869 
			 Ashfield 365 13 352 362 7 355 
			 Ashwell 489 91 398 438 25 413 
			 Askham Grange 130 3 127 116 6 110 
			 Aylesbury 507 18 489 443 15 428 
			 Bedford 282 38 244 244 21 223 
			 Belmarsh 562 55 507 483 45 438 
			 Birmingham 857 142 715 884 144 740 
			 Blakenhurst 1,274 215 1,059 1,094 122 972 
			 Blantyre House 146 0 146 126 3 123 
			 Blundeston 334 48 286 280 20 260 
			 Brinsford 409 26 383 347 14 333 
			 Bristol 360 36 324 303 43 260 
			 Brixton 486 127 359 416 61 355 
			 Brockhill 156 19 137 119 6 113 
			 Bronzefield 384 38 346 233 15 218 
			 Buckley Hall 274 25 249 380 132 248 
			 Bullingdon 599 69 530 495 50 445 
			 Bullwood Hall 175 4 171 120 1 119 
			 Camp Hill 347 56 291 306 30 276 
			 Canterbury 377 55 322 288 22 266 
			 Cardiff 454 51 403 383 32 351 
			 Castington 437 38 399 384 16 368 
			 Channings Wood 358 19 339 309 17 292 
			 Chelmsford 350 28 322 294 13 281 
			 Coldingley 461 93 368 383 75 308 
			 Cookham Wood 204 6 198 176 5 171 
			 Dartmoor 374 33 341 307 22 285 
			 Deerbolt 285 10 275 219 2 217 
			 Doncaster 1,309 81 1,228 1,113 93 1020 
			 Dorchester 309 35 274 265 31 234 
			 Dovegate 829 133 696 672 87 585 
			 Downview 325 4 321 317 4 313 
			 Drake Hall 355 5 350 266 6 260 
			 Durham 459 71 388 449 65 384 
			 East Sutton Park 122 3 119 100 1 99 
			 Eastwood Park 351 36 315 354 39 315 
			 Edmonds Hill 260 16 244 363 16 347 
			 Elmley 588 35 553 503 46 457 
			 Erlestoke 258 30 228 210 30 180 
			 Everthorpe 700 50 650 666 89 577 
			 Exeter 329 32 297 270 16 254 
			 Featherstone 356 68 288 318 53 265 
			 Feltham 434 35 399 319 17 302 
			 Ford 313 51 262 252 35 217 
			 Forest Bank 624 131 493 532 49 483 
			 Foston Hall 226 17 209 230 15 215 
			 Frankland 450 16 434 358 22 336 
			 Full Sutton 388 8 380 288 10 278 
			 Garth 396 48 348 312 20 292 
			 Gartree 553 11 542 509 23 486 
			 Glen Parva 452 15 437 390 7 383 
			 Gloucester 356 54 302 306 42 264 
			 Grendon 173 1 172 128 2 126 
			 Guys Marsh 377 61 316 290 39 251 
			 Haverigg 403 57 346 349 36 313 
			 Hewell Grange 192 13 179 160 11 149 
			 High Down 447 53 394 371 39 332 
			 Highpoint 488 76 412 412 53 359 
			 Hindley 268 17 251 212 10 202 
			 Hollesley Bay 325 55 270 281 40 241 
			 Holloway 330 21 309 295 10 285 
			 Holme House 593 56 537 505 23 482 
			 Hull 585 84 501 497 39 458 
			 Huntercombe 419 16 403 354 7 347 
			 Kingston 228 28 200 199 12 187 
			 Kirkham 457 79 378 660 76 584 
			 Kirklevington 269 4 265 229 6 223 
			 Lancaster 295 8 287 244 16 228 
			 Lancaster Farms 307 30 277 264 9 255 
			 Latchmere House 242 7 235 191 5 186 
			 Leeds 769 120 649 588 103 485 
			 Leicester 415 39 376 345 26 319 
			 Lewes 317 30 287 270 43 227 
			 Leyhill 293 61 232 311 34 277 
			 Lincoln 276 35 241 198 26 172 
			 Lindholme 431 30 401 402 35 367 
			 Littlehey 412 13 399 352 8 344 
			 Liverpool 810 155 655 663 88 575 
			 Long Lartin 269 30 239 226 21 205 
			 Low Newton 292 37 255 270 14 256 
			 Lowdham Grange 310 32 278 268 39 229 
			 Maidstone 331 67 264 288 41 247 
			 Manchester 737 79 658 611 44 567 
			 Moorland 435 18 417 416 19 397 
			 Moorland Open 281 29 252 209 14 195 
			 Morton Hall 363 2 361 341 4 337 
			 Mount 482 39 443 361 29 332 
			 New Hall 421 32 389 372 32 340 
			 North Sea Camp 304 63 241 263 31 232 
			 Northallerton 228 5 223 231 4 227 
			 Norwich 461 71 390 364 40 324 
			 Nottingham 316 59 257 257 27 230 
			 Onley 337 44 293 296 25 271 
			 Parc 597 39 558 521 30 491 
			 Parkhurst 309 43 266 253 17 236 
			 Pentonville 765 140 625 558 92 466 
			 Peterborough Female 266 28 238 322 25 297 
			 Peterborough Male 411 66 345 422 93 329 
			 Portland 249 10 239 250 8 242 
			 Preston 364 68 296 333 57 276 
			 Ranby 606 43 563 519 56 463 
			 Reading 340 14 326 260 11 249 
			 Risley 639 71 568 543 35 508 
			 Rochester 469 24 445 397 13 384 
			 Rye Hill 356 58 298 303 50 253 
			 Send 245 3 242 211 5 206 
			 Shepton Mallet 224 4 220 188 0 188 
			 Shrewsbury 342 59 283 325 48 277 
			 Spring Hill 221 23 198 201 9 192 
			 Stafford 405 38 367 343 22 321 
			 Standford Hill 287 34 253 212 17 195 
			 Stocken 365 40 325 312 22 290 
			 Stoke Heath 403 10 393 329 7 322 
			 Styal 500 51 449 674 61 613 
			 Sudbury 332 36 296 275 15 260 
			 Swaleside 474 40 434 399 25 374 
			 Swansea 485 57 428 419 31 388 
			 Swinfen Hall 458 21 437 313 15 298 
			 Thorn Cross 299 54 245 240 16 224 
			 Usk/Prescoed 497 20 477 400 24 376 
			 Verne 356 3 353 299 5 294 
			 Wakefield 358 11 347 367 6 361 
			 Wandsworth 900 123 777 745 100 645 
			 Warren Hill 241 4 237 217 1 216 
			 Wayland 421 17 404 354 10 344 
			 Wealstun 460 83 377 372 73 299 
			 Weare 126 6 120
			 Wellingborough 312 62 250 308 31 277 
			 Werrington 156 7 149 152 5 147 
			 Wetherby 405 5 400 345 2 343 
			 Whatton 220 4 216 341 2 339 
			 Whitemoor 270 8 262 229 7 222 
			 Winchester 489 52 437 398 39 359 
			 Wolds 361 5 356 327 16 311 
			 Woodhill 459 29 430 384 33 351 
			 Wormwood Scrubs 764 101 663 637 84 553 
			 Wymott 626 53 573 526 36 490 
			 (1) Year to date April 2006 to January 2007.

Prisons: Genetics

David Davis: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether the DNA Prisoner Sampling Exercise in 2003 was carried out in every prison establishment in England and Wales.

John Reid: The 2003 DNA Prisoner Sampling Exercise was carried out in all prison establishments where prisoners were identified as not having had a sample taken, with the exception of young offenders institutions.

Prisons: Genetics

David Davis: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many prisoners were identified through the Prisoner Sampling Exercise in 2003 as not having their DNA on the National DNA Database; and what proportion of those prisoners subsequently had a sample taken before their release.

John Reid: Data on prisoners and patients in secure mental establishments as at 28 February 2003 was examined during the Prisoner Sampling Exercise. 5,400 of these were identified as having no DNA profile on the National DNA Database. 3,772 of these prisoners and patients (70 per cent. had a DNA sample taken and added to the National DNA Database.

Prisons: Genetics

David Davis: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many prisoners in England and Wales had their DNA samples taken during the course of the DNA Prisoner Sampling Exercise carried out in 2003.

John Reid: 3,772 individuals had DNA samples taken, of which 3,188 were prisoners and 584 were prisoners in secure mental establishments.

Prisons: Location

Jeremy Browne: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the average distance in miles was between  (a) females and  (b) males in prison and their registered home address in each year since 1997.

Gerry Sutcliffe: holding answer 29 March 2007
	 The information requested for the last five years is contained in the table.
	Distance from home is calculated using either home address, or where no home address is listed the committal court is used as a proxy.
	
		
			  Average distance from home area 
			  Miles 
			   Male  Female  Male and Female 
			 2002 53 64 53 
			 2003 52 68 53 
			 2004 51 67 52 
			 2005 50 55 50 
			 2006 50 58 50

Prisons: Location

Jeremy Browne: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many  (a) males and  (b) females are (i) on remand and (ii) convicted prisoners being held in a prison (A) up to 50 miles, (B) between 50 and 100 miles and (C) over 100 miles from their home.

Gerry Sutcliffe: holding answer 29 March 2007
	The information requested is contained in the table. The data is for January 2007.
	Distance from home is calculated using either home address, or where no home address is listed the committal court is used as a proxy.
	These figures have been drawn from administrative IT systems which, as with any large scale recording system, are subject to possible errors arising from data entry and processing. For this reason the data may not be wholly accurate due to the relatively small numbers involved.
	
		
			  Average distance of prisoners from home by gender and custody status January 2007 
			   (A) Under 50 miles  (B) Between 50 and 100 miles  (C) Over 100 miles  Total 
			  (a) Male 
			 Unconvicted 6,793 670 310 7,773 
			 Convicted 39,641 15,302 9,100 64,043 
			  
			  (b) Female 
			 Unconvicted 384 137 23 544 
			 Convicted 2,082 884 676 3,642 
			 Total 48,900 16,993 10,109 76,002

Prisons: Manpower

David Davis: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department pursuant to the answer of 19 February 2007,  Official Report, column 325W, on prison capacity, how many additional prison officers he expects to be recruited in 2007 to oversee the additional prison places created.

John Reid: The number of prison officers and custody officers varies depending on the regime and the type and location of the prison. We estimate that around 500 additional prison officers and prison custody officers will be required to staff the 2,500 additional places that will come into use in 2007.

Probation: Greater London

Chris Mullin: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the budget allocation for the London Probation Area  (a) was for 2006-07 and  (b) is for 2007-08; and what assessment he has made of the potential impact of a change in the budget on service delivery.

Gerry Sutcliffe: The information is as follows:
	 (a) London Probation Board's total budget for 2006-07 was 137.5 million.
	 (b) London has received a total provisional allocation for 2007-08 of 144.6 million.
	This provides for a 5.1 per cent. cash increase on the 2006-07 figure. Regional offender managers are currently negotiating service level agreements with each probation board setting out what services are delivered within agreed resources.

Prosecutions: Hunting

Ashok Kumar: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department pursuant to the answer of 8 January 2007,  Official Report, column 144W, on illegal fox hunts, what the names were of the defendants in the prosecutions referred to where all proceedings are complete.

Tony McNulty: It is not appropriate for the Home Office to provide such information.

Refugees

Damian Green: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what estimate he has made of the number of refugees who will be eligible for integration loans.

Joan Ryan: Those granted refugee status or humanitarian protection under the immigration rules and their respective dependants on or after the date on which the loan scheme comes into operation will be eligible to apply for an integration loan. Numbers of eligible applicants will be dependant on how many individuals are granted the appropriate status but we are working on the assumption that there will be no significant rise in numbers from last year. In 2006, 2,170 individuals were granted refugee status and 60 were given humanitarian protection.
	The payment of a loan is not automatic and each application will be considered on its own merits.

Reoffenders: Hartlepool

Iain Wright: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many people in Hartlepool have broken the terms of their  (a) bail conditions,  (b) antisocial behaviour orders and  (c) acceptable behaviour contract in each of the last five years.

Tony McNulty: Data extracted from the Court Proceedings Database held by the Office for Criminal Justice Reform showing the number of defendants proceeded against and found guilty of Failing to surrender to Bail in the Hartlepool local justice area (LJA) and the Cleveland police force area are shown in the following table.
	Data are not collected centrally on other breaches of bail condition. The figures given for Hartlepool LJA will include defendants who do not necessarily live in Hartlepool itself, but their cases were heard in Hartlepool.
	Antisocial behaviour order (ASB0) breach data are available at criminal justice system (CJS) area level only. These data relate to cases where individuals have been proven in court to have broken the terms of their ASBO.
	Data on the number of acceptable behaviour contracts (ABCs) are not collected by the Home Office as they are voluntary agreements and therefore unsuitable for central data collection.
	
		
			  Number of defendants proceeded against at magistrates courts and found guilty at all courts for failing to surrender to bail, in the Hartlepool local justice area and Cleveland police force area, 2001 to 2005( 1, 2) 
			   2001  2002  2003  2004  2005 
			   Proceeded against  Found guilty  Proceeded against  Found guilty  Proceeded against  Found guilty  Proceeded against  Found guilty  Proceeded against  Found guilty 
			 Hartlepool UA 268 252 287 252 270 240 257 245 151 138 
			 Cleveland Police Force Area 811 658 995 742 1,123 882 1,243 1,079 892 801 
			 (1) These data are on the principal offence basis. (2) Every effort is made to ensure that the figures presented are accurate and complete. However, it is important to note that these data have been extracted from large administrative data systems generated by the courts and police forces. As a consequence, care should be taken to ensure data collection processes and their inevitable limitations are taken into account when those data are used.

Roads: Accidents

Paul Rowen: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many car accidents involving a pedestrian being injured or killed  (a) resulted in police successfully prosecuting a motorist and  (b) were hit and run cases with no one apprehended in each of the last five years; and what the average sentence was in each prosecution.

Vernon Coaker: holding answer 26 March 2007
	While the Department for Transport monitors details of road traffic accidents including 'hit and run', this information is not linked with details of any subsequent arrests and prosecutions.
	Information collected on the Court Proceedings Database held by the Office for Criminal Justice Reform does not identify the type of vehicle and casualty (i.e. pedestrian, driver or passenger) involved in road traffic accidents where proceedings have been brought.
	Information held on the database on the number of prosecutions and findings of guilt for 'accident' offences under the Road Traffic Act 1988 section 170(4) and (7) does not distinguish those offences which resulted in injury from those which resulted in damage or both injury and damage.

Samantha Jackson

Tony Baldry: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department pursuant to the answer of 27 February 2007,  Official Report, column 1229W, on Samantha Jackson, when he expects a decision to be taken on the case of Samantha Jackson (reference 410144101).

Liam Byrne: IND made a decision on 5 March 2007. The associated paperwork was despatched to Ms Jackson on 27 March 2007.

Secure Accommodation: Young Offenders

Justine Greening: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many young people were held in  (a) secure children's homes,  (b) secure training centres and  (c) young offender institutions in each month since 2002; and if he will make a statement.

Gerry Sutcliffe: The information requested can be found in the table. It relates to young people serving juvenile sentences in secure training centres, secure children's homes and juvenile young offender institutions. It does not include young adults in young offender institutions for over 18-year-olds.
	These figures have been drawn from administrative IT systems, which, as with any large scale recording system, are subject to possible errors with data entry and processing.
	
		
			  Numbers in Secure Children's Homes, Secure Training Centres, including those in Juvenile Institutions 2002-07( 1) 
			Secure Children's Homes  Secure Training Centres  Juvenile Institutions( 2) 
			 2002 January 283 108 2,495 
			  February 305 119 2,624 
			  March 308 122 2,702 
			  April 333 122 2,734 
			  May 340 128 2,831 
			  June 330 154 2,866 
			  July 324 155 2,915 
			  August 337 154 2,889 
			  September 322 141 2,947 
			  October 322 149 2,992 
			  November 335 152 2,920 
			  December 322 163 2,713 
			  
			 2003 January 288 155 2,619 
			  February 301 172 2,610 
			  March 312 174 2,667 
			  April 314 171 2,618 
			  May 328 181 2,598 
			  June 327 183 2,594 
			  July 322 183 2,634 
			  August 313 173 2,624 
			  September 308 180 2,653 
			  October 309 175 2,637 
			  November 307 183 2,598 
			  December 282 171 2,460 
			  
			 2004 January 289 175 2,504 
			  February 289 166 2,599 
			  March 288 187 2,681 
			  April 278 182 2,650 
			  May 279 179 2,664 
			  June 267 181 2,607 
			  July 264 189 2,618 
			  August 264 205 2,631 
			  September 238 223 2,612 
			  October 244 219 2,677 
			  November 242 226 2,665 
			  December 218 214 2,547 
			  
			 2005 January 236 209 2,515 
			  February 229 232 2,529 
			  March 232 233 2,521 
			  April 226 228 2,524 
			  May 229 237 2,594 
			  June 238 245 2,605 
			  July 255 248 2,661 
			  August 248 249 2,680 
			  September 257 252 2,770 
			  October 244 253 2,696 
			  November 227 246 2,652 
			  December 216 216 2,404 
			  
			 2006 January 225 231 2,521 
			  February 213 233 2,610 
			  March 209 229 2,654 
			  April 228 246 2,619 
			  May 234 258 2,715 
			  June 225 247 2,750 
			  July 229 233 2,813 
			  August 233 269 2,824 
			  September 230 268 2,813 
			  October 222 260 2,831 
			  November 225 284 2,803 
			  December 222 257 2,659 
			  
			 2007 January 226 271 2,743 
			 (1 )The age group shown in the table are under 18s only, except those completing a Detention and Training Order. Normally under 18s would not be expected to be found in young offender institutions.  (2) Including some young people recently reaching age 18.

Security Guards: Licensing

James McGovern: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department 
	(1)  which organisations the Security Industry Authority consulted before implementing the latest increase in licence fees for security officers;
	(2)  whether he was consulted by the Security Industry Authority before they implemented the latest increase in licence fees for security officers.

Vernon Coaker: holding answer 27 March 2007
	 The fee to be paid on application for a licence under the Private Security Industry Act 2001 is prescribed by the Secretary of State in regulations. Following consideration by the Home Office of the SIA's proposals for an increase in the fee the Secretary of State agreed to make the necessary regulations.
	An updated regulatory impact assessment was published on 12 January 2007, setting out the case for an increase from 6 April in the fee, which must be set at a level to enable the SIA to recover its costs.
	The fee will increase when the Private Security Industry Act 2001 (Licences) Regulations 2007 come into force on 6 April.

Security: Heathrow Airport

Ben Wallace: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what role his Department is playing in the miSense project at Heathrow Airport.

Liam Byrne: IND staff were directly involved in enrolling passengers for the miSensePlus and miSenseAllclear scheme but played no role in the miSense trial. All the miSense trials are a proof of concept and delivered by a collaboration of nine partners led by the British Airports Authority (BAA). Participation in the schemes was on an entirely voluntary basis and following the end of the trial period, all personal data are being erased.

Sentencing

Ann Coffey: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when he expects to make a decision on the recommendations of the Sentencing Advisory Panel on guidelines for sentencing shoplifters.

Gerry Sutcliffe: It is not for the Secretary of State to make decisions on recommendations by the Sentencing Advisory Panel. The Sentencing Advisory Panel produces advice for the Sentencing Guidelines Council, whose role it is to consult and draw up final guidelines. The Government will have an opportunity to comment on any draft, but the final decision on the content of guidelines is for the Sentencing Guidelines Council.

Serious Organised Crime Agency

David Davis: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many seizures of Class A drugs have been made by Serious Organised Crime Agency officers since 1 April 2006; and what the estimated total value of these seizures is.

John Reid: For the period April 2006 to September 2006 SOCA was involved in the seizure of the following Class A drugs as shown in the table.
	
		
			  Drug  Quantity (approximate)  Numbers of Seizures 
			 Heroin 1,300 kg 47 
			 Cocaine 35,000 kg 64 
			 Ecstasy 4.2 million pieces 10 
			 Opium 160 kg 1 
			 LSD 1 million doses 1 
		
	
	The estimated street value of these seizures would have been approximately 1.8 billion.

Serious Organised Crime Agency

David Davis: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how much has been spent on  (a) stationery for the Serious Organised Crime Agency (SOCA) and  (b) promotional merchandise branded with SOCA's name and logo.

John Reid: It has not been possible for SOCA to give an exact figure for their spend on office stationery to date, however, for the period April 2006 to September 2006, SOCA spent 522,500 on stationery and office consumables. Of this, SOCA estimates that 189,000 was spent on stationery.
	For the period April 2006 to September 2006, SOCA spent 12,714.74 on promotional material branded with SOCA's name and logo (excluding headed stationery).

Serious Organised Crime Agency

Jeremy Browne: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what system of accountability is in place to monitor the work of the Serious Organised Crime Agency.

Vernon Coaker: The chair, non-executive directors and the director general of SOCA are all appointed by the Home Secretary; SOCA publishes an annual plan before the beginning of each financial year; and an annual report as soon as possible after the end of each financial year. This is in line with the requirements of the Serious Organised Crime and Police Act 2005.
	Before the commencement of SOCA a management statement and financial memorandum was drawn up setting out the overarching framework within which the organisation will operate and a copy of SOCA's MS/FM was placed in the Library.
	Regular meetings take place between the chair and director general of SOCA and the Home Secretary and Ministers. The chair and the director general have made several appearances before Select Committees in the House of Commons and the House of Lords, as well as meeting various all-party parliamentary groups. Senior managers of SOCA also have regular meetings with the Home Office sponsor team.

Shoplifting: Lancashire

Lindsay Hoyle: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many shoplifting offences were recorded in Lancashire in each of the last five years.

Vernon Coaker: The information requested is given in the table.
	
		
			  Offences of theft from shops in Lancashire 
			   Number of offences 
			 2001-02 8,050 
			 2002-03(1) 7,781 
			 2003-04 8,579 
			 2004-05 8,254 
			 2005-06 8,655 
			 (1) The National Crime Recording Standard was introduced in April 2002. Figures before and after that date are not directly comparable.

Stop and Search: Terrorism

Nicholas Clegg: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department pursuant to the answer of 15 March 2007,  Official Report, column 557W, on stop and search: terrorism, how many of those searched in each category were subsequently charged with  (a) terrorism-related offences and  (b) other offences.

John Reid: The Office of Criminal Justice Reform does not collate charge data following a stop-search under section 44 of the Terrorism Act 2000.

Terror Suspects

David Davis: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department 
	(1)  how many of the people who were detained without charge on suspicion of terrorist offences between 11 September 2001 and 31 December 2006 were held for  (a) more than 10 days,  (b) longer than 20 days and  (c) 27 or 28 days;
	(2)  how many of the persons who were detained without charge on suspicion of terrorist offences between 11 September 2001 and 31 December 2006 were held for  (a) more than 10 days,  (b) longer than 20 days and  (c) 27 or 28 days before a charge was brought against them.

John Reid: The maximum period of detention pre-charge was extended to 14 days on 20 January 2004 and subsequently up to 28 days with effect from 25 July 2006. The following table shows a breakdown of detention statistics compiled from police records covering the period 20 January 2004 to 31 December 2006.
	
		
			  Period of detention  Number of persons detained  Charged  Released without charge 
			 10-20 days 55 45 10 
			 20-27 days 0 0 0 
			 27-28 days 6 3 3 
			 Total 61 48 13

Terrorism

Richard Burden: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department pursuant to the answer of 6 March 2007,  Official Report, column 1945W, on terrorism, when he expects to publish Lord Carlile of Berriew's report on the definition of terrorism.

Tony McNulty: holding answer 29 March 2007
	 Lord Carlile of Berriew's report was published on 15 March.

Terrorism Act 2000

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will break down by ethnicity the number of those  (a) arrested,  (b) charged and  (c) convicted under the Terrorism Act 2000 since its inception.

Tony McNulty: holding answer 28 March 2007
	The Home Office does not collate information on the ethnicity of individuals arrested, charged or convicted under the Terrorism Act 2000.

Terrorism Act 2000

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many people have been arrested under the Terrorism Act 2000 since 1 January 2006; and how many were held within 24 hours of the maximum allowable period.

Tony McNulty: holding answer 28 March 2007
	Statistics compiled from police records show that from 1 January 2006 to 31 December 2006 156 arrests were made under the Terrorism Act 2000. The maximum period of detention pre-charge was extended to 28 days with effect from 25 July 2006.
	Statistics compiled from police records show that from 25 July 2006 to 31 December 2006 six people have been held for 27-28 days.

Terrorism: Crime Prevention

Tom Watson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many incidents have been reported to the anti-terrorism hotline since its introduction; and if he will make a statement.

Tony McNulty: holding answer 22 March 2007
	Records of the number of calls received by the hotline have been kept from 1 January 2004. The total number of calls until 31 March 2007 was 9,474.
	
		
			   Number of calls 
			 2004 860 
			 2005 (1)7,422 
			 2006 929 
			 2007(2) 263 
			 (1) This figure includes the period 7 July 2005 until 8 August 2005 during which time 6,468 calls were recorded. This was in the immediate aftermath of the terror attacks on London on 7 July 2005. (2) 1 January 2007 to 31 March 2007.

Terrorism: Crime Prevention

Tom Watson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many people are employed to handle calls received by the anti-terrorism hotline.

Tony McNulty: holding answer 22 March 2007
	The anti-terrorist hotline is staffed by two civilian staff and two police officers between the hours of 7 am and 6 pm, and outside these hours by one civilian staff and one police officer. The hotline is based within the Counter Terrorism Command at New Scotland Yard.
	In the event of a major incident a contingency plan has been devised substantially to increase the capacity to answer incoming calls. This is an operational matter for the police. We cannot comment further.

Terrorism: Detainees

Theresa May: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many of those detained under the Terrorism Acts  (a) were seeking asylum at the time of their detention and  (b) have subsequently claimed asylum.

Tony McNulty: The information requested can be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Terrorism: Lancashire

Nigel Evans: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many people  (a) arrested,  (b) charged and  (c) convicted under the Terrorism Act 2000 were from (i) Lancashire and (ii) Ribble Valley.

Tony McNulty: holding answer 30 March 2007
	 The Home Office does not collate statistics by geographical or force area. From 11 September 2001 to 31 December 2006 there have been a total of 1,166 arrests of which 1,126 arrests were made under the Terrorism Act 2000 and 40 arrests under legislation other than the Terrorism Act, where the investigation was conducted as a terrorist investigation.
	Of the 1,166 arrests, 117 were charged with terrorism legislation offences only, 104 were charged with terrorism legislation offences and other criminal offences and 186 were charged under other legislation. Of those charged, 40 were convicted under the Terrorism Act 2000 and 180 convicted under other legislation.

Terrorism: Telephone Services

Greg Knight: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many telephone calls were received by the Anti-Terrorism Hotline in each of the last 12 months for which figures are available; and if he will make a statement.

Tony McNulty: holding answer 29 March 2007
	From the period 1 January to 31 March 2007, 263 calls were received by the Anti-Terrorism Hotline. From 1 January to 31 December 2006, 929 calls were received. A monthly breakdown is detailed in the table.
	
		
			  Monthly breakdown of calls received by the Anti-Terrorism Hotline 
			   2006  2007 
			 January 69 52 
			 February 75 52 
			 March 52 159 
			 April 60  
			 May 49  
			 June 65  
			 July 91  
			 August 180  
			 September 130  
			 October 65  
			 November 51  
			 December 42  
			 Total 929 263

Tobacco: Young People

Andrew Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many prosecutions for under-age tobacco sales there were in each year since 1997; and how many convictions resulted from these prosecutions.

Tony McNulty: Data extracted from the court proceedings database held by the Office for Criminal Justice reform showing the number of defendants proceeded against and found guilty for under-age tobacco sales is shown in the following table.
	
		
			  Number of defendants prosecuted against at magistrates courts and found guilty at all courts, for under-age tobacco sales, England and Wales, 1997 to 2005( 1,)( )( 2) 
			   Proceeded against  Found guilty 
			 1997 130 112 
			 1998 166 129 
			 1999 127 102 
			 2000 161 134 
			 2001 117 90 
			 2002 99 78 
			 2003 117 93 
			 2004 73 57 
			 2005 88 69 
			 Total 1,078 864 
			 (1 )These data are on the principal offence basis.  (2) Every effort is made to ensure that the figures presented are accurate and complete. However, it is important to note that these data have been extracted from large administrative data systems generated by the courts and police forces. As a consequence, care should be taken to ensure data collection processes and their inevitable limitations are taken into account when those data are used.

Trespass

Nicholas Clegg: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many people have been  (a) arrested for trespass and  (b) stopped by police on suspicion of trespassing in each of the designated areas established by the Serious Organised Crime and Police Act 2005 since their designation.

Adam Ingram: I have been asked to reply.
	The Serious Organised Crime and Police Act 2005 defines a designated site as meaning a site specified or described in an order by the Secretary of State. A protected site is defined as a nuclear site or a designated site. Therefore, all designated sites and nuclear licensed sites are protected sites.
	There are a number of designated sites in the Ministry of Defence. They are:
	Her Majesty's Naval base Clyde
	Northwood Headquarters
	RAF Brize Norton
	RAF Croughton
	RAF Fairford
	RAF Feltwell
	RAF Fylindales
	RAF Lakenheath
	RAF Menwith Hill
	RAF Mildenhall
	RAF Welford
	Royal Naval Armaments Depot Coulport
	Sea Mounting Centre Marchwood.
	In addition to the above designated sites the MOD has three protected (nuclear) sites at:
	AWE Aldermaston
	AWE Burghfield
	HMNB Devonport.
	Since 2005, 11 arrests have been made by the Ministry of Defence Police (MDP) for trespass; one at Atomic Weapons Establishment (AWE) Aldermaston, two at RAF Menwith Hill and eight at RAF Lakenheath. No one has been stopped by the MDP on suspicion of trespass in any of the designated areas.

Victor Makarov

Peter Atkinson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will meet Mr. Victor Makarov, to discuss arrangements for his future security and well being in the UK.

Tony McNulty: holding answer 2 April 2007
	Mr. Makarov's local police force are aware of his background and are best placed to offer advice.

Walking

Geraldine Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will launch a public awareness campaign to encourage people to walk more for health reasons.

Liam Byrne: No.
	This is the responsibility of the Secretary of State for Health.

Work Permits

James Clappison: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department further to the answer of 5 March 2007,  Official Report, column 1769W, on work permits, to applicants of which 10 nationalities the most work permits carrying a potential entitlement to settlement in the UK were granted in  (a) 2001 and  (b) 2005.

Liam Byrne: Statistics on grants of settlement on the basis of employment are published annually in table 5.4 of the Command Paper entitled Control of Immigration: Statistics United Kingdom. The latest edition is that for 2005. Copies are available from the Library of the House and on the Home Office Research Development and Statistics Directorate website at:
	http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/rds/immigration1.html

Work Permits: IT

Ashok Kumar: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what percentage of work permit applications made by IT professionals were successful in the last period for which figures are available; and what percentage of work permits awarded in that period were granted to IT professionals.

Liam Byrne: In 2006, 94 per cent. of work permit applications made by IT professionals were successful.
	Work permits issued to IT professionals accounted for 23 per cent. of all work permits issued to individuals in 2006.
	The figures quoted are not provided under national statistics protocols and have been derived from local management information and are therefore provisional and subject to change.

Young Offenders

Justine Greening: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the population of  (a) secure children's homes,  (b) secure training centres and  (c) young offender institutions was in each month since March 2006; and if he will make a statement.

Gerry Sutcliffe: The figures requested can be found in the following table.
	These figures have been drawn from administrative IT systems which, as with any large scale recording system, are subject to possible errors with data entry and processing.
	
		
			  Number held in secure children ' s homes, secure training centres, and young offender institutions March 2006 to February 2007 
			   Secure children's homes  Secure training centres  Young offender institutions 
			  2006
			 March 209 229 7,967 
			 April 228 246 7,795 
			 May 234 258 7,887 
			 June 225 247 8,034 
			 July 229 233 8,220 
			 August 233 269 8,334 
			 September 230 268 8,263 
			 October 222 260 8,342 
			 November 225 284 8,332 
			 December 222 257 8,038 
			 
			  2007
			 January 226 271 8,261 
			 February 200 254 8,374 
			  Notes:  1. Secure children's homes and secure training centres are for under 18-year-olds only. Young offender institutions also hold those aged 18+.  2. Secure children's home figures do not include young people placed by local authorities for welfare reasons

Young Offenders

Rudi Vis: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many  (a) boys and  (b) girls under the age of 18 years were received into young offenders institutions (i) under sentence and (ii) on remand in each year between 2000 and 2006.

Gerry Sutcliffe: Information on the numbers of juvenile receptions into all prison establishments in England and Wales in each year from 2000 to 2005 can be found in the following table.
	These figures have been drawn from administrative IT systems, which, as with any large scale recording system, are subject to possible errors with data entry and processing.
	The figures given in this answer relating to the numbers of prisoners held in prison establishments have been drawn from administrative IT systems. Although care is taken when processing and analysing the returns, the detail collected is subject to the inaccuracies inherent in any large scale recording system, and although shown to the last individual the figures may not be accurate to that level.
	
		
			  Receptions of under 18-year-olds into prison establishments in England and Wales 2000-05 
			   2000  2001  2002  2003  2004  2005 
			  Male   
			 Under sentence 5,672 5,600 5,393 4,729 4,986 4,971 
			 Remand 5,922 4,732 5,187 4,893 4,964 4,984 
			
			  Female   
			 Under sentence 307 305 346 189 186 204 
			 Remand 321 246 240 245 194 180 
			  Source:  (i) 2000 to 2002, Prison Statistics in England and Wales;  (ii) 2002 to 2005, Offender Management Caseload Statistics 2005.

Young Offenders

Rudi Vis: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many  (a) boys and  (b) girls were received into (i) secure training centres and (ii) local authority secure children's homes in each year between 2000 and 2006.

Gerry Sutcliffe: The following table shows information provided by the Youth Justice Board on the number of receptions of young people under 18 into secure training centres and secure children's homes in England and Wales in each year from 2002 to 2006. Figures for 2000 and 2001 are not available. The receptions into secure children's homes do not include children placed there by local authorities for welfare reasons.
	
		
			  Receptions of young people under 18 into secure children ' s homes and secure training centres, 2002-06 
			   Secure Training Centres  Secure Children ' s Homes 
			   Male  Female  Total  Male  Female  Total 
			 2002 636 271 907 1,877 430 2,307 
			 2003 913 456 1369 1,823 358 2,181 
			 2004 1,069 508 1577 1,647 312 1,959 
			 2005 1,280 648 1929 1,592 394 1,986 
			 2006 1,193 731 1924 1,548 300 1,848

Young Offenders: Prisoners on Remand

Vincent Cable: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many and what percentage of prisoners in young offenders institutions were on remand in each of the last 10 years.

Gerry Sutcliffe: holding answer 14 March 2007
	The number and percentage of juveniles and young adults who were on remand in prison establishments in England and Wales in each of the last 10 years can be found in the following table. Young offender institutions hold sentenced offenders, while those on remand are held in establishments under prison rules.
	These figures have been drawn from administrative data systems.
	Although care is taken when processing and analysing the returns, the detail collected is subject to the inaccuracies inherent in any large-scale recording system.
	
		
			  Young adults and under 18s on remand or under sentence in all prisons in England and Wales at 30 June 
			   Total on remand  Total under sentence  Total remand and sentenced  Remand as percentage of total 
			 1997 2,973 7,698 10,671 28 
			 1998 3,015 8,212 11,227 27 
			 1999 2,935 8,025 10,960 27 
			 2000 2,677 8,160 10,837 25 
			 2001 2,325 8,315 10,640 22 
			 2002 2,691 8,368 11,059 24 
			 2003 2,393 8,563 10,956 22 
			 2004 2,400 8,311 10,711 22 
			 2005 2,400 8,291 10,691 22 
			 2006 2,583 8,475 11,058 23 
			 2007 (at 31 January) 2,669 8,874 11,543 23

Young Offenders: Prisoners on Remand

Vincent Cable: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many and what proportion of prisoners in each young offenders institution are remand prisoners; and how many remand prisoners have been detained for  (a) over 30 days,  (b) over 60 days and  (c) over 100 days.

Gerry Sutcliffe: holding answer 14 March 2007
	The number and proportion of juveniles and young adults who were on remand in prison establishments in England and Wales at 31 January 2007, and for the specified numbers of days, can be found in the following table. Young offender institutions hold sentenced offenders, while those on remand are held in establishments under prison rules.
	These figures have been drawn from administrative data systems. Although care is taken when processing and analysing the returns, the detail collected is subject to the inaccuracies inherent in any large scale recording system. It is for this reason that the information is not provided by individual prison establishment, as the numbers are not necessarily accurate to this level of detail.
	
		
			  Young adults and under 18s on remand by length of time on remand, and proportion of total sentenced and remand population at 31 January 2007 
			   Number 
			 Total 2,669 
			 Less than or equal to 30 days 921 
			 Over 30 days to less than or equal to 60 days 417 
			 60 days to less than or equal to 100 days 468 
			 Over 100 days 691 
			 Unknown(1) 172 
			 Proportion on remand 23.0 
			 (1) Includes missing or inaccurate data contained on the database.

Young Offenders: Prisoners on Remand

Vincent Cable: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the average period spent on remand by prisoners in young offenders institutions was in each of the last 10 years.

Gerry Sutcliffe: holding answer 14 March 2007
	Information on the average time spent on remand by young adults and under 18s held in prison establishments in England and Wales between 1996 and 2006 can be found in the following table. Young offender institutions hold sentenced offenders, while those on remand are held in establishments under prison rules.
	These figures have been drawn from administrative IT systems, which, as with any large scale recording system, are subject to possible errors with data entry and processing.
	
		
			  Average time spent on remand by young adult and under 18 year olds in prison establishments in England and Wales, 1996-2006 
			   Number of remand receptions  Average annual population  Average time spent on remand (days) 
			 1996 19,890 2,941 54 
			 1997 20,455 2,982 53 
			 1998 21,639 2,936 50 
			 1999 22,485 2,930 48 
			 2000 22,099 2,607 43 
			 2001 19,926 2,347 43 
			 2002 20,688 2,558 45 
			 2003 18,904 2,428 47 
			 2004 17,956 2,415 49 
			 2005 17,602 2,440 51 
			 2006 17,602 2,634 55

Young Offenders: Prisons

Edward Garnier: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many  (a) male and  (b) female prisoners aged 17 to 21 years were accommodated within the adult prison estate on (a) 1 March 2007 and (b) the first day of each of the previous 12 months, broken down by prison.

Gerry Sutcliffe: Information on the numbers of male and female prisoners by the banded age groups aged 17-20 and aged 21 and over, held in prison establishments within England and Wales at the end of each month since February 2006, can be found in a table which has been placed in the Library. Many establishments include more than one unit.
	The figures have been drawn from administrative IT systems and as with any large scale recording system, are subject to possible errors with data entry and processing.

Youth Crime

Michael Penning: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department which non-governmental organisations his Department has funded in the last three years in relation to combating  (a) gang culture,  (b) youth crime and  (c) street violence.

Vernon Coaker: holding answer 27 March 2007
	The Home Office funds a number of programmes focused on tackling gangs, youth crime and street violence.
	The Connected Fund was established in May 2004 and provides small grants for community-based organisations working in this area. Details of the 300 organisations funded to date can be found on the Connected website at www.connected.gov.uk The sixth round of the Fund, focusing specifically on gangs, was launched on 1 March this year.
	In addition, since 2004-05 the Home Office has provided grants to support the following organisations whose work is aimed at tackling youth crime, gun crime and gangs: Street Pastors, the Peace Alliance, Social Action Radio, Trident IAG, the Damilola Taylor Trust, Be Safe, Urban Concepts and Truce.
	The Home Office has also provided funding for combating youth crime to: the Fostering Network, the Hampton Trust, the Trust for the Study of Adolescence, the Magistrates Association and Crime Concern (an independent, non-profit registered charity working to reduce crime). The Positive Futures Programme is currently managed nationally by Crime Concern and funded by the Home Office's Crime and Drug Strategy Directorate. There may also be other non-governmental organisations that have received indirect funding from the Home Office via bodies such as the Youth Justice Board or local youth offending teams.